Ada Lovelace Day
As it’s Ada Lovelace Day and I find myself writing a user manual for yet another bespoke CMS, I thought I’d add my two pence worth. I’ve pledged to write about women in technology that I admire. I know so many excellent tech-driven females including Julia Whitney, Michelle Ricci, Paula le Dieu, Helen Pickford, Louise Ventris, Sophie Hammer, Celia Romaniuk, Mo Lishomwa, Sarah Turner, Clare Griffiths, Sarah Dobinson, Maria Stark, Francesca Granato, Bronwyn Van Der Merwe, Hilary Perkins and my cousin Ellie Ford. The trouble with writing lists are that you miss out others and get in trouble so I apologise in advance and will add people as I remember.
I’ve never felt uncomfortable working in very male tech environments and have always felt respected in my work and treated as an equal. I realise how fortunate I am to be born in a time and place where that is possible. I never expected to take this route in my life and am not sure it will be my only and ultimate vocation (drawing always will be!) but I suppose if it wasn’t for the likes of Ada Lovelace, and a go-getting mother instilling me with feminist attributes of equality and fairness, then I wouldn’t have learnt all the amazing things that I have so far or felt that I had the right to do so.
I think I would like to recognise today, all those women in the world who will never reach their potential, who are oppressed either by economic or political situations and I wonder what we’re missing in the world as a result.
