PRESS
RELEASES:
The name of the gane is networking
 |
TUESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 1997 THE AGE Madeleine Sanders, right, and Jenny Barbour: Picture. SANDY SCHELTEMA |
THE paradox of futuristic industry being bound to old-fashioned business practices has inspired a new women's network, that aims to combat the "old boy's club".
Jenny Barbour, the Victorian manager of the IT recruitment company Netbridge, decided to do something after attending yet another IT "networking" event.
"There were 14 men and three women and (the men) knew eveqthing about each other, their opposition and everything ... at the end of that lunch we sat down and said 'my goodness, it is so obvious that they all tap into each other even they're in opposition firms', " says Barbour.
Along with a friend and software developer Madeleine Sanders, and an IT columnist, Susan Coleman, Barbour decided to set up a network for women in the industry, called Women are IT.
"Men have a fabulous network in any industry - the old boys' club or whatever you want to call it. They really have a great network for contacts, in business or personally. Women don't, and they have to create their own network.
"We still want to hear about the finance world and we still want to hear about the IT world, and we still want to hear about new technology."
She's hoping to get together a small group of "interesting" women who are professionals in IT or related fields, and do some serious networking over a regular lunch.