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is to be corrected, schools need to take a proactive approach in ensuring that girls have equal access to technology and are encouraged to make relevant use of it. There is a certain tendency for boys to take over computer facilities in school, as they perhaps feel a stronger sense of ownership towards technology than girls do. Schools could also help to provide a context in which girls can enjoy using technology in such a way that it becomes socially acceptable and encouraged within their peer groups.

Parental role models are also an incredibly important source of encouragement or hindrance to girls' involvement with technology. Children model their behaviour at least partly in that to of their parents, and in a household where the mother never uses the computer and believes it is not her place to do so, children will naturally incorporate that impression in their thinking. The existence of positive female technological role models within the home could be a crucial factor in developing a girl's technological competence and confidence, thus motivation her to engage with it.

Toys that handicap the development of these skills in certain children by virtue of their gender present a potential problem. Technology is just as likely to reinforce as to challenge social stereotypes and divisions, and since children learn by playing, these divisions are likely to linger well into their adult lives. I therefore believe the cycle that generates and replicates stereotypes which have the final result if not the intention of making technology less approachable to half of the population on the basis of their gender needs to be overcome.

If professional equality is to be achieved in a workplace where technology plays an increasingly central role, it is essential that girls are encouraged to interact with technology from an early age. In this case, it could be argued that the Petal Power and Games for Girls have an important role to play in gently introducing girls to technology in a non-threatening format. The unrealistic, limited, and stereotypical interfaces offered by these products, however, fail to engage them with real-life technology. While it is perfectly acceptable for non girls' to play with realistic replicas of computers, the laptops made for little girls seem to put quite a bit of effort into clearly separating play' and reality'. This separation is achieved not only by the content offered, but also by the colours and shapes used in the interfaces. The potentially detrimental message that this could send little girls using these products is that it is all right for them to play at technology' but the real thing should be left for boys.

Learn more about this author, Alice Atkinson-Bonasio.
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