Data is power – let’s level the playing field for women
Panel event March 22 2023
In March we co-hosted a panel event “Women’s Journeys in Data” to highlight women’s journeys in data. Attendees told us that moderator Rachel Whaley’s speaking points resonated, so we’re sharing them with you here.
LA Tech4Good is on a mission to teach responsible data practices and build a community of data professionals creating a more equitable and just world. We do that mainly through our workshops on leading equitable data practices for individuals and for teams.
Over the past few years, many organizations and individuals have participated in our workshops as a foundation for implementing equitable data practices. We are thrilled to see this momentum: it gives us hope that more and more individuals and companies will see the value of embodying responsible, ethical, and equitable data practices. As that happens, those more just practices will become a norm in the data community.
Why is that so important? Our community is full of current and aspiring data professionals, and everyone who works with data does the same thing – we turn data into information. Information is powerful. Data is powerful.
“Truly inspiring words from our panelists. I shed a couple tears during Rachel Whaley’s speech before the panel started regarding the impact of underrepresentation of women in data. The heaviest point for me was “Information equals power. When women are not given access to information, they lose power.”
Our journeys matter because only 20% of data scientists are women – that number has barely budged in the last 10 years and the statistics are similar for other job titles in the data field. This means women – with our full, intersectional life experience – are less involved in making decisions about how data is used and less involved in the process of turning data into information. If data is power, women don’t hold our fair share of that power.
“I found it very useful to understand challenges in data driven decision making at different industries and different organizations, helpful resources/ websites shared by panelists to upskill and keep up to date in big data, as well as current statistics around women in data. And indeed, listening to each of their unique journeys was inspiring!”
At LA Tech4Good, we believe change has to happen at three levels: the individual level, the organizational level, and most importantly, the broader systemic level. Responsible data practice means leveling the playing field, eliminating the power imbalances that exist, and making sure all women are fully and authentically represented in data and in decision-making.
“It was great to hear how honest and empowering each one of the panelists’ stories were, which solidified the importance of surrounding yourself with a solid support system. The audience’s energy and curiosity also helped create an even more enjoyable atmosphere.”
As we love to quote from the Feminist Data Manifest-No: “Data is a thing… we make and put to use. We can make it and use it differently.”
Ready to use data differently? Join our next workshop cohort – be the first to know by signing up for our announcement list here.
