''The Only Woman''
''The reality of prejudices and discrimination''
by
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This book is intended to describe the trials and tribulations of a young woman entering a so-called “man’s field” in the mid 1950’s.
I was the only woman in my college math and engineering classes, the only woman working in a small company, the only woman manager, and finally, the only woman director.
There were many tough and discouraging times. I have often wondered if it was worth it. It would have been much easier to have settled for a “traditional” field for woman. But if I had chosen a traditional career, I would not be writing this book.
I have tried to keep the book on the “light side”. In retrospect many of my experiences are funny now. But when they occurred they were not very amusing. Even though there is less discrimination today than in the 1950’s, things have not really changed that much. Laws have changed…but attitudes are slow to change.
In those times the discrimination was blatant. Today it is not so obvious, but it still exists. I had a female friend recently leave a local company because of a form of discrimination. She has a PHD in engineering. She left to take a teaching position at a University. Her supervisor and co-workers (all male) would not listen to her ideas and basically ignored her. This too is a form of discrimination. However, it is very difficult to prove.
In addition to discrimination in the workplace, I faced discrimination in other areas. In my early thirties, I tried to buy income property. I was a single female. I believe I was discriminated against on both counts. Another member of my family (male) got a loan from the same bank in the same timeframe for a similar amount. At that time our salaries were comparable.
A male co-worker offered to make an offer for the same house and apply at the same bank so I would have a valid claim for a suit. I should have taken legal action, but decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and stress involved.
The seeds of discrimination are planted at a very early age. I still hear young parents today say to their small children: “Little girls don’t do this or that”. I recently volunteered in a local grade school and heard the teachers making similar statements. Young minds are easy to mold and teachers have a huge influence on them.
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About the Book
This book is comprised of a series of stories describing situations resulting from being the Only Woman “caught” in a male-dominated world. The author has attempted to keep the book on the “light” side, since many of stories are funny in retrospect. These incidents were actually very hurtful and some were even degrading at the time they occurred. Other stories are not intended to be amusing. They describe the realities of discrimination and “double-standards” facing a female trying to compete (or even survive) in a male dominated technical field. The impact of the incidents described in the book may be difficult for someone to fully understand who has not walked in the shoes of a minority.
About the Author
The author was the only woman in the majority of her college and career experiences. Out of her “love” and talent for Mathematics and Science she chose a field that seemed reasonable. However being raised in an environment that did not distinguish “boy” and “girl” interest as being different, she was naïve about the “real” world of discrimination that she was facing.
In the 50’s she was an anomaly, being the only woman in her mathematics classes. She was pioneer entering the engineering and technical field which was considered a men’s field. And also a pioneer in the computer field which was in its early stages in that timeframe.
She was the first woman manager in her company in the mid-1980’s and first woman director a few years later. Because of the positions she held she was usually the only women at conferences and management meetings.
Being a female in this male dominated environment, she always felt she was being viewed and evaluated by a different yardstick. Any mistake would be magnified versus a male making the same mistake. Also she had to be very cautious related to her emotions to avoid be labeled an “emotional” female.
On the positive side, being involved in a leading-edge technical field she had the opportunity to work on very interesting projects. She worked on some of the computer applications for the early space program, as well as software for many other defense related applications. Also she was on the Internet before Al Gore “invented it”. It was actually the ARPANET, a government network that was a precursor to the Internet.
She has had a home computer since 1979. She owned one of the first Commodore Pet Personal Computers. In her “retirement” she continues to keep up with the latest computer technology. She volunteers doing Web pages for the local library, teaches and helps new computer users in her church and the community in general. Also she continues to do programming and consulting projects.