The Need for Female Mentors
One of the central problems facing women in computing is the lack of
female mentors in the discipline. Because Computer Science is a
highly male-dominated field, there are few visible women in the
computing profession. As a result, female student Computer Scientists
have few women faculty members to look to for guidance and to
emulate.
The mentor plays a crucial role in the intellectual and professional
development of any student, regardless of discipline. He or she is
responsible for introducing the student to the research environment,
providing direction and support for the student's work and acting as a
resource to help the student make connections within the field.
More importantly, however, the mentor "helps to form with the protege the
sense of him or herself as a member of the profession, encouraging and
fostering a self-image as a legitimate member of the community of scholars"
(see Ellen Spertus' "Why are There so Few Female Computer
Scientists").
The presence of a mentor is particularly important to women in
Computer Science. Since female Computer Science students are often
isolated in their field, a mentor can provide these women with the
encouragement and support they need to overcome some of the
gender-related barriers in computing. Likewise, female mentors can
serve as role models to female computer science students, as they
are examples of women who has been successful in the the
male-dominated arena of Computer Science.
Unfortunately, there is currently a dearth of mentors for women in
the field of Computer Science. According to the 1999 ACM report,
"Becoming a Computer Scientist," women
are currently "much more likely than men to be mentored by female
faculty members." However, as the number of women in Computer Science
shrinks, the number of potential female mentors will decrease
as well, thus reducing the opportunities for women students to
identify and connect with a professional role model. This raises the
question why men aren't mentoring women in the field of Computer
Science. After all, since computing is a predominantly male field,
having male professionals serve as mentors to women would eliminate
the problem of a small mentor pool. Unfortunately, many men do not
feel comfortable mentoring female students. Some male professionals
believe that women are not serious about their academic careers and
will leave academia upon finding a husband. As a result, these men
think that encouraging female students is not worth the effort.
Other men would rather mentor a student who "looks 'like' them" (ie a
student of the same gender)
(see Ellen Spertus' "Why are There so Few Female Computer
Scientists"). Likewise, many men fear that a mentor relationship
with a female student will be interpreted as sexual. Consequently,
women's options for professional mentors in the Computer Science
continue to remain low.