In 2014, diversity in tech is still an issue. Bay Area based company OneLogin is hoping to bring diversity to the tech industry with a powerful new campaign #ILookLikeAnEngineer. The billboard, shown above, has been showing at BART stations in the Bay Area, highlighting real employees by the company, dispelling the notion that engineers fit one type of narrative. The company started an Indiegogo campaign to raise enough money to create a billboard in San Francisco, one of the largest tech hubs in the world.
While the campaign has been successful, raising over 300% of its initial goal on the first day, the campaign has brought a lot of unwelcome attention to one of the people featured in the ad. In an article for Medium, full-stack engineer at OneLongin, Isis Anchalee discussed the sexist comments she’s been receiving as a result of being included in the campaign.
“Some people think I’m not making “the right face”. Others think that this is unbelievable as to what “female engineers look like”. News flash: this isn’t by any means an attempt to label “what female engineers look like.” This is literally just ME, an example of ONE engineer at OneLogin. The ad is supposed to be authentic. My words, my face, and as far as I am concerned it is.”
Isis isn’t the only one who has faced discrimination for being in the workplace. She is now encouraging other people to share their stories at ilooklikeanengineer.com. And in spite of the sexist comments, #ILookLikeAnEngineer was flooded with women who posted to social media engineer stories of their own. Check them out below!
[divider]Social Media Responds to #ILookLikeAnEngineer[/divider]
Elisa Leonida Zamfirescu (b.November 10, 1887) was one of the world's first female engineers.#ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/Q5jjo7sQLB
— Wear Your Voice (@WearYourVoice) August 10, 2015
I'm from Benin, West Africa. I'm Black. I have short hair, and I smile a LOT. #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/3g0osIQxZ8
— Pam (@pam_yam) August 4, 2015
I'm a Spacecraft Structures Engineer for @AirbusDS – my current job is designing Mars Rovers… #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/0hMHGuVK3I
— Abbie Hutty (@a_hutty) August 4, 2015
CS degree, 20+yrs full stack. Started w/ Pascal on an IBM PS/1. Prefer back-end dev & simulation #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/ibFx5r1ZUq
— Kishau Smith Rogers (@kishau) August 4, 2015
I designed my last company's ETL system. #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/3t0sPWi73x
— Jess Kirkpatrick (@berkeleyjess) August 5, 2015
https://twitter.com/daraoke/status/628625476051861504
Admiral Grace Hopper will forever be an engineering superstar to all of us engineers. #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/mute8G3tcC
— Werner Vogels (@Werner) August 4, 2015
Just a few of the faces of @MITEngineering… Tweet yours with #ILookLikeanEngineer pic.twitter.com/JCLd6Fn2qU
— Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (@MIT) August 4, 2015
#ILookLikeAnEngineer The female flight controllers of STS-120. pic.twitter.com/5fqVKggn1p
— Holly 🚀⚜️ (@absolutspacegrl) August 4, 2015
#MomOps to 3 {autism, T1 Diabetes, & Tethered Spinal Cord} Ops, Infrastructure, Full Stackaroni #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/zcr3NrmfEK
— Carmen H. Andoh (@carmatrocity) August 4, 2015
I'm female, wear pink and I'm pregnant. I'm also a full stack software engineer. #ILookLikeAnEngineer pic.twitter.com/3PV9BepNYy
— Jolene Hayes (@jo_momma_jo) August 3, 2015