Women in EDA: looking at some of the issues ...
March 11, 2006 Sitting in a pension in downtown Munich assembling this article after spending the week at DATE the conference on Design Automation & Test in Europe it's easy to have a beer and a pretzel and feel removed from EDA and the challenges the industry faces going forward be they technical, business, or otherwise. But the content of this article is such that even a pretzel and a beer, or the lively conversations and presentations at DATE over these past few days, can not obscure a tough reality within EDA the industry is sorely lacking in the area of gender diversity. Admittedly, as you will see below, some people do not see that lack of diversity as a problem others don't see a lack of diversity at all, although the majority of the women quoted in this article do but no matter how you feel about this matter, and whether you're a woman or a man, the resolution to the issues raised in the 'conversation' below are crucial to the vitality of the industry, and its ability to attract great talent in the coming years. This article consists of the responses to a survey that I sent out approximately 6 weeks ago in January 2006. When you're done reading the results, I hope you'll write and share your impressions with me. As with the responses to the survey, I will keep your comments anonymous if it's important to you. I will publish those responses at a later point in EDA Confidential. ************************************* The e-mail ... Hello If you are receiving this e-mail from me, it's because I am hoping you'll spend 30 seconds answering the following quick questions. It's not a scientific survey just a reality check for me. This survey is only being sent to women. I am composing a column for the DAC Newsletter on the topic of Women in EDA. I have my own opinions, but would like to hear from you. If you respond to my questions, your answers will be totally confidential. If you want to respond, just hit Reply and insert your answers in the questions below. Thanks a lot, Peggy Aycinena ************************************* The Survey ... 1) It would be better not to even discuss the topic of Women in EDA in a public forum: Yes/No 2) Women in EDA: Well represented 3) Advancement opportunities for Women in EDA: Excellent 4) Why there are fewer Women in EDA than one would like: Too few women pursuing technical degrees 5) Does the term "Women in EDA" refer to: Women who do software development for CAD tools 6) I would like to add the following comments to the discussion:
************************************* The Responses ... 1) It would be better not to even discuss the topic of Women in EDA in a public forum: Yes ... 22% Some respondents sent additional comments: * It is ok to discuss. We are a minority. * I think it would be much better not to discuss women as a separate group in EDA. * Both. For all of the efforts in developing and speaking about in a public forum, there are even less young women entering the engineering community. Where's the action in the grade schools and high schools of women in EDA doing outreach to the next generation of engineers? * It would be good to discuss women in the IC industry, too. It's disturbing to see how many women have left the field and how many have no intentions to enter it. * I'd like to see more women mentored and encouraged to participate in discussions with men. * It's still worthwhile to bring awareness to, but more powerful and relevant to more [people] if widened to women and other under-represented minorities in EDA and technology in general. For example, women are EDA vendors, users, professors, lawyers, VCs, etc. Looking at and addressing the ecosystem would enable us to holistically see the issues [and] opportunities, and innovate to benefit all. I would like to see discussions and bridges to the institutions and infrastructure (e.g. universities, VCs, law firms, industry luminaries, etc.) in EDA how they do/don't nurture, encourage and support women/other minorities to grow, thrive and contribute back. 2) Women in EDA are: [Note: Several respondents chose multiple answers from the list.] Well represented ... 6% Some respondents sent additional comments: * Hardly represented at all, especially in technical positions. * Hardly represented at all outside Marcom. * Adequately represented for those who want to be here are here. There are no barriers to other women who want to be here. * Hardly represented at all, though it is getting better with each passing year. * Hardly represented at all, but getting better (I think). * Hardly represented at all at higher levels, but adequately (at least better) represented in lower-level technical levels. * Depends on what you mean by "represented." Is that qualitative or quantitative? I don't see the need for a separate "class" to be represented. Women and men alike must compete on their merits. * Some representation at the level of masses/workers, but most accomplishments from this class are "hidden" and not represented to degree of their capabilities and contribution (current and potential). * Hardly represented at the engineering level, but abundant in PR and marketing. 3) Advancement opportunities for Women in EDA: [Note: Several respondents chose multiple answers from the list.] Excellent ... 18% Some respondents sent additional comments: * Whatever few women there are in engineering and marketing [in EDA] have some chance for advancement up to the director level. Only exceptional ones get to VP, while some mediocre men get up there. * Many women feel they have equal opportunity at a low-mid level, but less opportunity to be treated fairly when being considered for executive level roles. * If they've managed to navigate the old boy network to get into EDA, they are definitely "promotion-able!" * The opportunities are there, but many of us get so fed up after 10 years or so that we just decide to go and do something else. * What is your definition of 'advancement opportunities?' If you're talking about getting a job or getting promoted to manager level, the chances are excellent. If you're talking about becoming a VP, a COO, a CEO, or a member of the Board of Directors it's tough, very tough. Very, very tough. * Moderate, as men still hold the preponderance of decision-making positions. * Moderate, but you have to work your behind off. * Excellent (unlimited) advancement opportunities for women with technical degrees. There seems to be a separate, healthy career path in the communications domain, but it does not reach (or hasn't so far reached) the senior executive level. * The field is ripe for innovative leadership, including those from women and other under-represented and under-recognized classes. To get there, there needs to be conscious nurturing at the individual, companies, institution and industry level. * Excellent from a PR perspective ... but moderate for technical positions. 4) Why there are fewer Women in EDA than one would like: [Note: The respondents were asked to check all relevant answers.] Too few women pursuing technical degrees ... 70% Some respondents sent additional comments: * The Old Boys network isn't the problem getting in, it's just that an engineering degree is required, even for marketing. * Too few women [are] pursuing technical degrees, although this is increasing. If they are getting a technical degree, EDA is not as "sexy" as some other technology areas. * EDA is an Old Boys Network. (Although, there are exceptions to this 'rule,' both for women and for the men.) * EDA is an Old Boys (and Young Boys) Network. * Odd question: What if one does not like or dislike the number of women in EDA? Perhaps I should interpret your question as: * Unfortunately, too few parents direct or support the pursuit of math or science for their daughters. That said, EDA, along with every other high-tech career, commands the need for not just highly skilled technical staff, but also people skilled in technical sales, multi-national business operations, and the marketing of complex technologies and women still hold too few of those important positions. How many parents bother to direct their daughters to develop the skills essential to the aforementioned, even though such skills would likely ensure that their daughters found interesting, challenging and lucrative career opportunities for life? Parents have an obligation to "share the world" with both their sons and their daughters, affording their children equal opportunity to become whatever their explorations, dreams and aspirations might lead them. And yet, how many parents actually fulfill that obligation - far too few. * For women and men to pursue careers in EDA, the industry needs to promote EDA as a hot career choice. * Too few American women pursuing technical degrees. * It's a challenge for EDA companies to compete in recruiting versus Google and the likes, based on public company stock performance, and "sizzle." * Too few women pursuing technical degrees? There are many in biological sciences, so this isn't true. Too few women pursuing degrees in electrical engineering? Definitely there are few role models, difficult [courses], and it takes boldness to enter. [Plus there's] little support/network, and also [being] seen as geeky doesn't help. 5) Does the term "Women in EDA" refer to: [Note: The respondents were asked to check all relevant answers.] Women who do software development for CAD tools ... 98% Some respondents sent additional comments: * These days it seems more like women who do marketing/PR in EDA. Though I know that's not true. * Anyone above administrative roles serving boys. * The term should embrace all areas of EDA. That's the only way to build a coalition and get the numbers up to something larger than the size of a Brownie troop on a cookie-selling campaign. Perhaps more importantly, all of these functions are essential to building a successful EDA business, company, or competitor. In fact, please add "women in finance" to the list here. * Good question, but I don't know the answer. What does "Men in EDA" refer to? * All the above. However, the ones who are more visible have come to represent "Women in EDA" in the way you are asking the question. * All of the above, plus women in teaching, mentoring/advisory roles in universities, industry, institutions, and government. 6) I would like to add the following comments to the discussion: * The lack of women in EDA is a complicated and fascinating mystery. My current thinking is that it is too much of a frontier land to attract or retain talented technical women. * "Women in EDA" isn't much different than "Women in Semiconductors." Both businesses require engineering degrees for advancement. (Women without engineering degrees who go into marcom should know that they'll never go beyond that department, but that might be fine with many of them) * Ask men what they think about women in EDA, especially those who work for women. You would be surprised. * I think people get out of something whatever they put into it. I worked at a semiconductor company and I was one of 5 women at the time (the other 4 were secretaries). You have to stand up and fight, but every man there (who wanted to advance) did the same. I don't think getting recognized and promoted is as difficult as some people may believe you just must be assertive and expect to be recognized. I think the problem is that women don't manage or run groups/teams/companies the way many men do, so you just need to learn how to bridge the gap. * What skews the "advancement opportunities" question is that there are always a few dynamic and/or brilliant women who would succeed in whatever field they chose. Most women, however, can't or don't want to compete in EDA's aggressively masculine work environment. * Hats off to women in this field who work so diligently! Although they often hold less prominent roles than men, they nevertheless exert a wide and powerful sphere of influence particularly if we extend the definition to include "Women who do marketing/PR in EDA." * In healthcare technology and biotechnology, female scientists, doctors, and nurses are not represented in huge numbers, but the numbers are at least 3 times what I see in EDA. I think the problem [in EDA] starts at the education level and then is reinforced in the job market fewer women means fewer representatives to get things changed and increase acceptance, which creates a feedback loop. Seems that a huge percentage of PR folks are women, there are a reasonable number in marketing management jobs, and almost none in engineering or senior management [with some] obvious exceptions. * Women are well accepted in the traditional business roles in EDA (PR/Marcom/Sales). But how many women 'technical visionaries' do we have? How many panelists are women (other than Women in EDA panels)? People make a fuss over the handful (if that) of women in upper management sometimes I think they are trying to convince us all that we are further along in EDA than we really are. Having said this, there are successful individuals and companies that I believe are gender-blind - for example, Aart de Geus of Synopsys seems to be pretty good based on his executive management team. On the flip side, I have run into women in the industry that couldn't tolerate another women being at a higher level than they were (while they accepted that it would happen with men). This attitude was a detriment to the working relationships - you know, the 'we are our own worst enemy' tragedy. Also, sometimes women just don't know how to function in such a male-dominated area. They are overly tough and hide their femininity to be taken seriously, or defer in a more traditional manner and function as 'pleasers.' Rising through the ranks is so much more complicated than just doing a good job. If you look at most of the executives (though not all), they left the large organizations and found executive level success in start-ups. Inherently, there is less of a glass ceiling there. * I've been in EDA for 20 years now (an engineer for almost 30), and am disappointed to say that I don't see that opportunities for women have changed dramatically. Even more disappointing is the fact that I have taken a couple of years off to pursue other interests, and have consistently found that the opportunities for women in other industries far outpace that in EDA. I do think that the limited number of women entering technical fields impacts this trend. However, a recent sales meeting during which all of the executive management and every other male attending (i.e. everyone but me) retired to the strip club after dinner made me despair that things had not changed in the last couple of decades even if one does possess the technical qualifications, it's just too annoying to stick around such sophomoric behavior. * How very depressing * We need to encourage more women to become masters of technology and science and take on greater roles in EDA and tech in general. * Just some personal observations regarding how girls are still treated today and what I think parents owe to their children: I was in Toys-R-Us before Christmas and was amazed at the sea of traditional toys that still dominate the shelves. While high-fashion Bratz dolls have come to replace Barbie, the toys aimed at little girls continue to emphasize dress-up, babies, fashion design, cooking and friends. Nowhere did I see anything having to do with math or science, let alone basic business skills in those aisles filled with pink and purple boxes of toys clearly aimed at little girls! On the other hand, the toys aimed at little boys (boxed in a good deal of black and silver packaging) encouraged competition, exploration, strategic thinking, construction and de-construction. If we're still giving our daughters baby dolls (or the "fashion is everything" Bratz dolls), instead of chemistry sets or construction blocks, then how can we ever hope to inspire our young women to pursue careers in math, science or technology, let alone EDA? Having been raised in a very traditional farming family, I received many of the usual "little girl" toys as a child, even though I was quite the tomboy. I was envious of the cool toys that my boy cousins got chemistry sets, telescopes, racecars, toy microscopes and Tonka dump trucks. I was able to talk my Dad into buying me a set of miniature John Deere tractors. And, in later years, I managed to convince my parents to get me a chemistry set and a microscope "for school," though my old-world Mom always thought I was "odd" for wanting such things. Though I knew from age 5 to 12 that I wanted nothing more than to work for NASA, explore space and be "the first woman astronaut," my father thought I was crazy. While I was a science fair standout and maintained top grades in advanced math, science and English, my parents discouraged my space pursuits. While it was a dream come true, my parents refused to let me go to Space Camp on a free summer scholarship, telling me that "space was not for women." That was a tough blow to recover from, but I was one of the fortunate ones - I found that I loved business and marketing too, which eventually led me to a career in EDA. Today, I believe we owe it to our children to tell them that there is absolutely nothing that they cannot do or become, if they are willing to work for it. Maybe, one day soon, there will be a woman president and women serving in equal part throughout the world of business and technology. * The visibility of women in EDA has been improving, albeit slowly. We need to keep up the awareness. * Please keep me completely ANONYMOUS. I never let on my feelings about this matter in public, as it sounds resentful. * In general, EDA is not growing significantly and there are fewer opportunities for men or women. Those with power in the industry have been in the game for some time and are difficult to displace, leaving no room for advancement within the ranks. Those in positions of influence in EDA got there by either developing novel or highly competitive tools, or by marketing those tools. Those developments have been funded by VCs or private investors. There is less of this money around today as opposed to 10 years ago, and it is highly unlikely that there are many women around that would consider going after it, [even] if it was there. Further, the innovators or entrepreneurs in EDA recently have been typically from India or China, both places where women are less likely to be entrepreneurs. * When people refer to the quote "Women in EDA", I think the reference is to the women who make a difference to the industry, in other words those with either an advanced technical contribution, or those in a visible management or other role, that sort of serve as a role model to other women by virtue of their position. * [I have] noted the lack of forums that recognize and highlight the achievements of amazing women in technology. Last year, I [attended] the Inaugural "Women of Vision" Awards event. If you haven't already, check it out! I'm inspired that motivated luminaries like Bill Unger fathered the concept and then recruited people like Penny Herscher and others to build the foundations, support and help make it happen. * EDA is not unique in its lack of women, but like the chip industry, there are not that many women in high profile positions. In addition, it is a very technical field, and thus suffers from the lack of women who have a technical background. But there are some truly great women in EDA, and that is important. *************************************
Peggy Aycinena owns and operates EDA Confidential. She can be reached at peggy@aycinena.com
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