Empowerment [Extended Version]

Empowerment.What does that even mean?

Laura Laugwitz

@lauralindal

Rails Girls Berlin

eurucamp

Social + Computer Science = <3

Empower application X to be more Y

Empower Users to buy more Z

„[...] empowerment refers to the process by which those who have been denied the ability to make choices acquire such an ability”

(Kabeer 2005)

„[Empowerment] is understood as improving the political, social, ecomonic and spiritual power of a community or a person that is/are structurally disadvantaged because of constructs such as race, religion, gender, sexuality, class, ability and/or age“

(Brilling, Hamaz, Erguen-Hamaz 2013: 4)

"Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself."

(Steinem ~1970)

„To understand the situation of oppression, one must first critically recognize its roots in order to then change the situation and create a new one [.. .]“

(Freire 1974: 34)

Understand what is happening

Lovelace &

Lamarr &

Hopper &

Bartik &

Granville &

Hamilton &

Perlman &

Borg.

Exposure to Computers

Confidence Interest→

School & University

Stereotype Threat

Study Groups

Classroom

Working Life

Job Listings

Selection Process

Interruptions

Care Work

Undermining the

systemic reproduction of inequality

individual

Learn

Understand

Support

group-related

Join Forces

Value Cooperation over Competition

Keep the Conversation going

structural

Establish new Structures

Establish yourself

Promote those who care

hiremorewomenintech.com

modelviewculture.com

geekfeminism.org

Empowerment [Extended Version]

Engineering

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