We interviewed Frances Fox, Nuclear Safety and Risk Management Consultant, ALTRAN UK on her experience and thoughts on women in tech.
Assessment of Nuclear Engineering and Safety Assurance of Complex Systems.
I had an amazing female physics teacher in secondary school who encouraged me to go into physics. I also had a male teacher who told me not to waste my time, nothing like someone telling me I can’t to push me to make sure I can.
Yes. I studied physics, maths and graphic design at A-level. Then my BSc was in Physics, Particle Physics and Cosmology and finally my MSc was in the Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors.
As part of my Masters I did a summer placement at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy which then developed into my first job.
Sadly yes, but it is improving slowly.
I’ve never experienced this myself. However if you consider the popular TV series the IT crowd where men are the intellectuals and the female manager is the “ditsy – thinks the internet is in a black box” representative for the gender, you can see media is trying to push a stereotype.
I can only go by my own experiences, but women/girls need encouraging at a young age. Make sure they know that technology is an exciting career option available to them. I also think companies need to look at applicants without gender to avoid any unconscious gender biases, and once hired, to encourage the females to advance and progress equally to their male counter parts.
Yes, but these are the same barriers most women will have experienced. These barriers include considering starting a family and needing a career break, or barriers such as old fashioned prejudices that women need bubble wrapping.