IBM slammed over #HackAHairdryer campaign

Women make up more than half of the United States workforce, but there’s still a disparity in the types of jobs they fill.

A report by the Center for Women in Business reveals that females occupy only one-quarter of U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) positions. IBM seeks to raise this number with a campaign encouraging women to alter the mechanics of a hairdryer to create something new.

Twitter users have criticized IBM’s effort, saying the company used a sexist stereotype to correct gender imbalance in STEM fields. Several women working in STEM fields responded with snark:

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@IBM shame I don’t use a hairdryer. I guess that’s the end of my career in STEM. Brb quitting my astrophysics PhD. #HackAHairDryer

— Jessica V (@ThatAstroKitten) December 7, 2015

I leave hairdryer fixing to the men, I’m too busy making nanotech and treating cancer. https://t.co/fX7tDPsJXr

— Upulie Divisekera (@upulie) December 7, 2015

That’s ok @IBM, I’d rather build satellites instead, but good luck with that whole #HackAHairDryer thing. https://t.co/n3vp0grbEP

— Stephanie Evans (@StephEvz43) December 7, 2015

Er, prove myself scientifically equal to a man by repurposing a feminine styling tool? No plans to #HackAHairDryer https://t.co/dkFsIQVmlS

— Carly Ziter (@carlyziter) December 7, 2015

And since when did @IBM start making hair dryers? Why don’t they ask women hackers to break into their server instead? #HackAHairDryer

— Judy Melinek M.D. (@drjudymelinek) December 7, 2015

Here, @IBM. My lady brain came up with this for #HackAHairDryer. Kuhn would declare it paradigm shifting, surely. http://pic.twitter.com/QTfWwnFolB

— Jo Alabaster (@joalabaster) December 7, 2015

So you can #hackahairdryer and do some really cool stuff. You’ve missed the point tho IBM. Gender is bollocks. You are reinforcing it.

— NurtureMyBaby (@NurtureMyBaby) December 7, 2015

Dear @IBM you are a tech company. If you really think hairdryers are what matter in science then I pity your shareholders #hackahairdryer

— Clare Lissaman (@ClareLissaman) December 7, 2015

Are we #womeninstem going to get a ‘mea culpa’ apology for the patronising #HackAHairDryer nonsense, @IBM?

— Dr Mel Thomson (@DrMel_T) December 7, 2015

Others said though the goal was good, IBM’s marketing and PR teams missed the mark with its messaging:

Dear campaigns to get women interested in STEM. The problem isn’t us. #HackAHairDryer is a great example of that. Hair dryers? really?

— SCG (@apiary) December 6, 2015

today’s award for Massively Missing The Point goes to… *drumroll*…. @IBM for #HackAHairDryer.

— Lói (@embloi) December 7, 2015

1: attach several turbocharged hairdryers to PR department 2: blast into space 3: … 4: profit #HackAHairDryer https://t.co/T4ZUW7jdHl

— Laura (@uisgebeatha) December 7, 2015

I see that @IBM is winning new friends with its #HackAHairDryer concept.

— Stilgherrian (@stilgherrian) December 7, 2015

@IBM no one is asking male scientists to hack beard trimmers. #womenintech #womeninSTEM

— RebeccaDV (@della_rebecca) December 7, 2015

It’s clear there are great intentions in the #HackAHairDryer campaign… but I have serious qualms about both the message and the project.

— annmarie thomas (@amptMN) December 6, 2015

Though the campaign was launched in October, the online firestorm came after IBM shared the campaign again with recent tweets:

Women hold less than 3 in 10 science & engineering jobs. Let’s change that. https://t.co/rrEFwjiBXD #womenintech http://pic.twitter.com/H5XDVUQ84D

— IBM (@IBM) December 1, 2015

Girls don’t like science? Nonsense. Let’s blast away the barriers to #womenintech https://t.co/rrEFwjiBXD http://pic.twitter.com/eSiJ0UGsjB

— IBM (@IBM) December 4, 2015

However, not all feedback for the campaign has been negative. Prior to the backlash, several users applauded IBM’s efforts with tweets.

@GirlsWhoCode @IBM Nice. As the parent of a girl who loves to code, this video hits home.

— E is for Enrichment (@eforenrichment) November 19, 2015

Three female IBM employees—user experience design lead Kathryn McElroy, engineer and inventor Kimberly Greene Starks and polymer chemist Nancy Zhang—also shared positive thoughts on the campaign in another IBM YouTube video.

“I think this project can really inspire girls to become engineers because they’ll see that we transformed this hairdryer into something more useful,” Starks says in the video. “We created something from nothing, and they’ll see that we look just like them. All ideas and perspectives drive innovation, and without representation from women and minorities, we only see a small bit of what is possible.”

What do you think of the criticism, Ragan readers? Is there a better way for organizations to approach women in STEM efforts, or are some people overreacting?

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