More than 5,000 women from the U.S. to the coast of New Zealand have identified themselves on an ESRI map in an effort to strengthen the community of women in the GIS industry.
As a field, geography hasn't exactly been trailblazed for women. Executive editor of Directions Magazine, Adena Schutzberg, stated, “I was keenly aware when I graduated with a masters in geography that my class only had 17 people in it, and only four of them were women.” While several women hold notable positions within the GIS industry, it's been difficult to find local communities of women in this profession, especially in places outside the technology pockets of California, Colorado, and D.C.
This year, Morgan State economics professor Dr. Linda Loubert started a grassroots movement to change that. Dr. Loubert set out to put women in the GIS profession on the map, literally. In what has become the top talking-point for women in the GIS community, Dr. Loubert created an interactive ESRI map for women to show where they work. More than 5,000 women from North America to South Africa, and from the Middle East to the coast of New Zealand have contributed to the map. With nearly 40,000 views and countless articles written about it, the map shows how well-represented women are in this industry and is a great networking tool for everyone involved.
Changing Viewpoints and Building Connectivity
As GIS professionals, we know that success is not solely determined by accurate mapping, but rather by how strategically the data can be applied to a situation. This is the first time women in the GIS community have had the ability to be accounted for throughout the world, and while the metrics themselves are astounding, it's the data that holds the most promise.
From this map, a young woman just starting her GIS career can see which states have the highest concentrations of other women professionals in a specific job sector. Or, if she doesn't want to move far from home, she can see which sector is most popular in her region. Women looking to network in the industry now have a tool. This map (something we're all familiar with in this profession) offers a direction and path for their individual careers.
Dewberry encourages GIS professionals to become prominent in their field, so you might just see quite a few of us on this map. This is my personal invitation to reach out and use us as a resource to become successful in this industry!
