#iwdto

A couple years ago, when my old roommate and I were living near St Clair West, we lived below a delightful family with a 2-year old daughter. Let’s call her "F”. My roommate and I would often visit our upstairs neighbours to hang out with F and her mother. One day, the four of us were hanging out, when F suddenly looked up and with a grin, asserted:

“We are all ladies.”

The grown-ups stopped talking and looked at F, wondering where the thought was headed.

With even more emphasis than before, F threw open her arms, and declared, “We are all ladies!”

Since then, “we are all ladies” has become our refrain to remind each other that we, as women, are for each other. We are all ladies and we are in it together.

At #DevTO’s International Women’s Day Tech Talks (March 7, 2016)

On Monday, a group of us from Bitmaker went to DevTO’s International Women’s Day Tech Talks (IWDTO). We heard from women who have wrestled with self-confidence, mental health, brogrammers, and systemic sexism to be Great At What They Do And Unapologetically So. Between the cheers and the laughter, the 350 of us in the audience (mostly women, but some men, too) were reminded that ladies are awesome.

"I'm not self-taught, I'm community-taught." Amen, @Itshella_dom! Giving props where it's due. #IWDTO

— Karen (@karenjho)

March 8, 2016

One thing I admire about the tech industry in Toronto is the recognition of the challenges women often encounter when trying to start, progress, or succeed in it. It's an uncomfortable topic, but the industry is talking about it, and doing things about it. Like a guild for women in software, a scholarship for women starting in code, or a project to address gender diversity and equality in the workplace.

Women are also building communities to support each other. In Toronto, there’s Women Who Code, Ladies Learning Code, Rails Girls, and more. And even more communities across Canada.

Give more high-fives, give more positive feedback. @Itshella_dom ✋✋✋✋✋ #IWDTO

— Karen (@karenjho)

March 8, 2016