Sexism and Harassment at Professional Events

NOTE: This is a joint event with Women Who Code Twin Cities, but open to all gender identities.

Microsoft recently came under fire for hiring women in "tiny schoolgirl outfits" to interact with guests at an event at the GDC gaming conference. Unfortunately, these incidences are all too prevalent in tech.

As a developer, I've seen my fair share of inappropriate behavior at conventions, conferences, meetups, happy hours and other work-related gatherings. These incidences include anything from awkward situations to inappropriate comments to outright harassment and abuse. As a writer, I've also been involved in the Speculative Fiction community, which has had a number of harassment issues at conventions in the past few years. Since this is a problem both communities share, I've invited a local speculative fiction group, MinnSpec, to partner on this event.

Discussion Topics

I've had a number of women ask me for advice on handling various situations at professional events. We'll discuss the following topics:

• How to escape an uncomfortable situation, especially ones with potential to become hostile • Recognizing body language to understand when someone else is in distress • Understanding consent • How to help someone else out of an uncomfortable or potentially hostile situation • Recognizing body language to understand when you might be making someone else uncomfortable

• How to escalate issues to organizers and/or authorities

• Understanding the potential backlash or criticism that may come from reporting issues The Schedule

6:30 - 7:00 PM - Mingle and Network
7:00 - 8:30 PM - Panel/discussion
8:30 - 9:00 PM - More Mingling and Networking

Audience

This event is open to all genders. Everyone will benefit from learning more about consent, how to curb unwanted behavior and how to help others in distress. Inclusive events are only possible when everyone works together to create a safe environment for those with less privilege.

Code of Conduct Women Who Code is dedicated to providing a harassment-free event experience for everyone regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, or religion. We will not tolerate harassment in any form, including overly sexualized or demeaning comments or anything that threatens personal safety. People violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the event and/or the organization at the discretion of the organizers and management team. Sponsor

This event is sponsored by Our Family Wizard. The OFW® website offers divorced or separated parents an array of tools to easily schedule child custody and track parenting time, share important family information, manage expenses as well as create an accurate, clear log of divorce communication.