Ever heard of a #manel?
If you're an avid conference goer, I'm sure you've seen it a hundred times. The all-male panel.
Perpahs you're like me, very very very tired of all-male panels? There's even a name for it, #manel. (*Hahahhaha!!*) Not to mention all-white panels... (#racism?). Some of you might ask why this is an important issue. Because of representation*.
On a brighter note, there are plenty of tools to help create change already available. Identify the inequality and act. Below you find three handy tools.
Check who's taking up more of the space, a dude or not a dude. By Cathy Deng.
The story of Equalisiters: There’s No Excuse for All-Male Panels. Here’s How to Fix Them, by Brigid Schulte.
Chronologically, the first source of The Female Conference Speaker Bingo I could find.
The Female Conference Speaker Bingo reveals that the same arguments are used over and over again to explain the absence of women in panels.
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry when somebody presents one of these arguments.
How do you deal with #manels?
* If you're not sure what representation means, google "why is representation important". Sorry (not really) for the arrogant tone. You should know this already.
