In this 5 minute lightning talk, Karen Lopez covers the reasons why women aren't submitting to speak at your IT event. For the most part, it's not you, it's them. Trolls, Imposter syndrome, time, confidence, perception, selection committees: they all have a role to play in why women fail to even submit an abstract for your event. You and your attendees can take steps to remove obstacles, real or surreal, so that women will step up to the podium.

1. WHY WOMEN WON’T
SUBMIT…
…TO SPEAK AT YOUR EVENT

2. WHY?
WHY DON’T WE HAVE MORE FEMALE SPEAKERS?
WE DON’T HAVE FEMALE SPEAKERS BECAUSE WOMEN
DON’T GET SELECTED
WHY DON’T THEY GET SELECTED
BECAUSE THEY DON’T APPLY
WHY DON’T THEY APPLY?
…..LET ME HAVE 5 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME….

3. IS THIS A PROBLEM?
…SOMETIMES….

4. TROLLS
WOMEN, MOREL THAN MEN, ARE
LIKELY TO BE ATTACKED VERBALLY
AND IN WRITING FOR SPEAKING OUT.

5. IMPOSTER SYNDROME
…MORE THAN MEN

6. EXPERTISE
WOMEN, MORE THAN MEN, BELIEVE
THEY NEED TO BE AN EXPERT BEFORE
THEY SPEAK OUT.

7. CELEBRITY FACTOR
WOMEN BELIEVE, MORE THAN MEN,
THAT CONFERENCES ARE FOR THE
CELEBRITIES.

8. CATCH-22
WOMEN, MORE THAN MEN, THINK
THEY SHOULD HAVE EXPERIENCE
SPEAKING BEFORE THEY START
SPEAKING.

9. EXTRA HOME RESPONSIBILITIES
+ 7 HOURS / WEEK AFTER MARRIAGE (MEN
GET 1 HOUR BACK)
….AND THAT’S IF THERE ARE NO CHILDREN
+16 HOURS IF THERE ARE 3 OR MORE
CHILDREN

10. INVITATIONS
WOMEN, MORE THAN MEN, THINK
THEY SHOULD BE INVITED TO SPEAK.
…PERSONALLY, WITH A RIBBON ON IT.

11. EMPTY ROOMS
WOMEN, MORE THAN MEN, THINK
NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR WHAT THEY
HAVE TO SHARE

12. SELECTION COMMITTEES
PEOPLE TEND TO RECOMMEND
PEOPLE JUST LIKE THEMSELVES

13. WHAT CAN WE DO?
GLAD YOU ASKED….!!!

14. CALL TO ACTION
INVITE MORE FEMALES TO SPEAK
REMOVE TROLLS
ATTEND THEIR TALKS
GIVE THEM FEEDBACK
APPRECIATE THEIR POINT OF VIEW
REMOVE OBSTACLES

15. APPLY TO SPEAK,
DATACHICKS!