[IndiChix] Request for interview...

Sun Jun 1 11:56:50 UTC 2008

Hello Fred,

On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 5:58 PM, Frederick Noronha [फ़रेदरिक नोरोनया] <
fred at bytesforall.org> wrote:

> Thanks, Ankita. Here are just a few queries... Will leave it to you'll
> to decide who would like to answer which (or whether one or two
> persons would like to take all). Please send me brief one-para
> introductions of whoever is doing the answering though. Thanks!
>

I'm Kadambari Devarajan, a graduate student in India doing my Masters in
Software Engineering and entering my final year of study and have been using
FOSS since 2003-04, and in all probability even earlier in my ignorance :) I
would like to enter grad school in the US and focus on Theoretical Computer
Science. I'm currently based in Chennai.

>
> Here goes:
>
> 1. What's the history of LinuxChix-India?
> 2. How well has it been doing?
> 3. What have been its significant successes, and limitations?

These are questions I'd let someone who has been with LinuxChix since its
inception answer, since they will be able to associate with the question
more.

> 4. Why, in your view, is the women-participation level so low for FLOSS?

Few of the reasons for fewer women in technology and fewer still in FLOSS
include, IMO:
(i) Women still have to straddle other responsibilities especially if she is
employed. I don't intend here to generate flamewars on the roles and
responsibilities of the sexes but women (atleast in India) still haven't
broken free completely.
(ii) Fixed/Narrow mindsets
Knowing a lot of women from rural India, I have had a number of discussions
on "liberation" with them. Their parents and later in-laws are the ones who
decide for them. Some of them opine that it's a wonder their parents even
let them study, leave alone pursue a career of their choice. Marriage,
dowry, large salaries and occasionally a high flying careers are all that
count. The ends to these justify the means. FLOSS is something unheard of!
Here the men might atleast have an edge - they can pursue anything of their
choice, the bottomline being raking some *moolah. *How can a father who
escorts his daughter until a bus stand, waits for the bus she boarded to
leave and wait at the same place to pick her up after college/work, let her
venture into other (albeit mental) domains unescorted especially when all he
knows is farming?
(iii) Lack of awareness
To most people ignorance is bliss. The food on the table matters, to them
how it came there is of no concern. To embrace FLOSS, IMO one atleast needs
to embrace ideas, to be o.p.e.n to them and to primarily, t.h.i.n.k.
Currently, a student works (if at all) on "getting placed" in a "good
company", the definitions of which have me stumped most of the time.
(iv)Laziness
To a person who slogs all day (cook, work, learn, teach...), it is simpler
to do what the company which she works for demands of her and more difficult
to go that extra mile hunting for and implementing an open source
alternative, especially if there is no initiation to it earlier...
(v) Sometimes one has to concede that a feeling that paying more ensures
quality, for some. A curtain between the code and the user help :)
I'd like to add here that - the reasons for fewer women in FOSS seem
comparable to the reasons for fewer women in research.

5. What can be done to improve this?

WE could target SHGs and women's organizations, I suppose but I'm not sure
how much that will help. I feel FLOSS can be considered a type of Social
Activism, targeting people/groups appropriately will help. The simplest way
would be to rope in women already in technology and computing. I drifted to
FLOSS of my own accord, I needed no convincing. I used FOSS,read up, got
hooked and continued :)  And this happened while I was still at school.

>
> 6. Do you think guys are subconsciously or consciously exclusivist or
> 'old boys clubish' in their approach?

I'd love to say, "Boys will be boys", but unfortunately can't. I've
truckloads of friends (predominantly guys) who are FOSS enthusiasts and ALL
of them have been mighty encouraging. And I've the discussions with them,
not to forget the diverging ideas, the arguments, and what not. But the guys
I have met here haven't been exclusivist at all and welcome women to FOSS
with open minds.

>
> 7. Can you site some experiences (even without names, if needed) that
> your memebers and or friends have been trhough while trying to
> understand, and master, technology? I mean offputting negative
> examples that would illustrate the point?

I personally can quote a number of problems faced.  The problem is not with
guys using FOSS, it's with the men outside of it. Bureaucracy and
condescension are a few problems that come to mind.

> 8. Do you think that it's tougher for a woman to master FLOSS or not?
> Why? Any three reasons for your answer?

For women, IMHO getting initiated to FOSS is the tough part. Mastering it
(if thats possible:) will probably entail the same difficulties (or ease, as
the case may be) for women as for comparative men.

>
> 9. What are the challenges before FLOSS in India if it is to see, say,
> a 50% women participation rate? Is this at all possible?

50% participation from women seems a tough call right now. It has a mighty
long way to go. The root digs pretty deep - the attitudes towards women
should essentially change in a lot of areas. I'm optimistic, though.

>
> 10 With a name like LinuxChix, in a context like India, does it make
> people misunderstand the group (I mean, chix might seem a bit
> frivolous, though I know the intent is not).

What's in a name? :)

>
> 11 I know you'll include guys in your group (I am a member too). Why?
> 12 Do you believe that same-gender learning environments (e.g. women
> alone) might help women to master FLOSS easier?

That's a definite possibility. But the focus right now should be on
awareness and initiation...

>
> 13 Lastly tell us something about your group, membership size,
> priorities, focus, etc.
> 14 Anything else you'd like to add.
>
> Which magazine/newspaper/website/blog are you writing this for? Just
curious.

Do let me know if you'd like anything else added to it. I know I am kind of
vague in a few places and ambiguous in others. Also I have answered most of
the question involving ideologies and issues but none that involve actual
statistics of the list. My apologies for the same, but I really feel that
should be done (and will be done better) by someone who was instrumental in
the initiation of the group and/or has been with it since inception.

Cheers,
Kadambari.

-- 
Check out my blog at
http://kadambarid.livejournal.com
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