March was Women’s History Month and I’ve noticed many of us STC Florida technical communicators are women. It’s a bit strange to be in a field of mostly women (at least in our area) in technology, but it also makes a lot of sense. Let me explain: stereotypically, women studied arts and humanities and other “softer” topics, while men studied technology, science, math, and other diverse topics. Many colleges and universities, including UCF, put technical communication in the English department or the writing and rhetoric department which both fall under the category of arts and humanities. So while we write about science and technology, we are still writing.
If one looks up articles on technical communication, most of them are by women. For example, here are just a few:
- Integrated Technical Communications: A Map to Better Understanding
- Ten Steps to Make Your Technical Translation Project a Success
- Pinterest: What My Mother Can Teach You About Content Strategy and Technical Communications
Here are a few wonderful women who’d like to share what their experience has been as a woman in technical communication:
I have been blessed to work with many wonderful women on the job and in STC since I started my career. From each, I have learned about the work we do, our place in the profession, and how to learn and grow.
Bethany Aguad
I’m honored to be a woman in a profession and organization where women hold so many leadership positions. Year after year, so many of the innovators and top creative minds in our profession and organization are women. It’s incredibly inspiring and encouraging in the male-dominated world of technology.
Jessica Nealon
Tech comm is both an opportunity and a home for women like me who have kept their inner techie closeted because of outdated social norms. Women bring a much-needed perspective to the table in a mostly male-dominated industry. I’m excited about the future of this industry as more women pursue positions in STEM fields.
Nancy Lopez
Many of the challenges of being a technical communicator (TC) – proving tech know-how, getting recognition for specialized work, being seen as leaders – seem even harder for women TCs, especially in male-dominated organizations. Nevertheless, working as a technical communicator (TC) has largely been rewarding for me, especially with the friendships I’ve made through STC and all of the lifelong skills I’ve developed.
Wendy Ross
Even our articles on MtM have a good amount of articles by women which you can find here or have a look through our archives which are maintained by Karen Lane (thank you Karen!): https://stc-orlando.org/news/memo-to-members-archives/.