Abstract
Makerspaces have been shown to play a significant role in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship by providing users with the tools and resources to produce and create products. Nonetheless, the makerspace movement has been scrutinized for exhibiting severe gender disparity, often causing women to feel excluded from participation. As a result, many women are deprived of the tools and educational opportunities commonly available in a typical makerspace. This study utilizes a qualitative research method to investigate makerspaces located across the United States. The results of our research indicate that some makerspaces do not exhibit the gender bias that is often associated with the movement, and we explore the factors that may be contributing to these makerspaces’ success at gender balance. Our findings reveal that women in leadership, inclusive policies and regulations, women-focused activities, and safe and accessible facilities are instrumental in attracting a more diverse demographic. This study holds the potential to inform the design of innovation spaces that prioritize inclusivity and foster a greater sense of community among makers of all genders.
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Rahman, M., Best, M.L. (2023). Why are Some Makerspaces not so Male-Dominated. In: Kurosu, M., Hashizume, A. (eds) Human-Computer Interaction. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14014. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35572-1_23
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