Men vs Women Engineers in Silicon valley

When Carly Fiorina was the CEO of HP almost two decades ago, I tuned into a radio channel while driving to work and heard words like “arrogant,” “bossy,” and “egomaniac” used to describe her. That made me think, Do they describe male CEOs in this manner as well? What is she doing differently than a male CEO?

Not much has changed since that broadcast.

Men and women engineers are judged differently for doing the same things in silicon valley. Here is the list I came up with some seven to eight years back — not in any particular order:

• If a man cracks jokes, he has a good sense of humor, but if a woman cracks jokes, she is flirty.

• If a man asks questions in meetings, he is attentive and alert. If a woman asks questions in meetings, she is trying to gain attention.

• If a man argues, he is trying to get to the bottom of a problem. If a woman argues, she is quarrelsome.

• If a man works late in the night, he is passionate and hardworking, but if a woman works late in the night, she is under pressure, burning the midnight oil, and a bad time-manager.

• If a man takes risks, he is adventurous, but if a woman takes a risk, she is making a mistake.

• If a man makes mistakes, he is learning, but if a woman makes mistakes, she is stupid.

• If a man goes after someone, he is persistent and persuasive, but if a woman goes after someone, she is pushy.

• If a man pushes people and persuades them to deliver more, he is motivating and energetic, but if a woman does the same, she is aggressive.

• If a man says things with conviction, he is confident, but if a woman does the same, she is arrogant.

• If a woman challenges, it’s a surprise and she is dismissed without even being heard, but if a man challenges, he is heard and responded to.

To be treated equally to a male engineer, a woman engineer has to be four times better. Without having any knowledge about her education and qualifications, people assume that the woman sitting in front of them is inferior. She has to be a computer science graduate from one of the top three schools to be treated equally by engineers from average-ranking schools. Women are also treated differently depending on their nationalities.

As an engineer, I must say, “I am an engineer first and a woman afterward. Behave with me the way one engineer should behave with another.”