FEMINISM
Technology: This is a Man’s World SOPHIE MALHOMME DE LA ROCHE An interview with Miss Davina Stansfield
selected field began to show. A work placement during university saw her given menial data entry tasks and she wasn’t trusted with product design, whilst being subjected to, ‘uncomfortable banter in a male dominant environment’. Miss Stansfield, proving her determined nature, worked twice as hard to achieve what she desired instead of succumbing to these cruel challenges, but when she was younger, never found herself secure enough to confront their comments. This, she admitted, majorly impacted her subsequent choices, deciding not pursue a career immediately in the Tech industry but follow the route into teaching. Her position as a teacher and subsequently as a role model has had lasting impacts in a way she could never have predicted. Her feminist work extends beyond this sphere as well, as she recently worked with the Northern Irish Parliament in aiding the Period Products Bill which achieved Royal Assent in May 2022. This ensured women and girls across Northern Ireland would have access to support for free period products.
There is no doubt that influences in childhood dictate your interests in later life. Miss Davina Stansfield, one of our computing teachers and a Tutor here at St George’s, described her childhood as ‘not stereotypically female’. She followed her younger brother’s interests; a love of rifle and clay pigeon shooting and horse riding as well as many other male dominated sports back when she was younger such as rugby. Challenging stereotypical norms was always quite normal for her and shaped her ambitions to do so later in life too. However, even in an increasingly progressive world, pursuing a career in technology was not an easy task. A shock from Miss Stansfield’s safe and motivational all girls school experience, she found herself as one of very few females on her university course and faced negativity and questioning from her male counterparts. She was fascinated by tech from a young age and was nurtured by inspiring and caring teachers, allowing her to embrace all her subjects, but at university the discriminatory nature of her
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