How many girl geeks do you know? I suspect it isn't many.

The problem facing many parents and technology teachers is how to get girls interested in computing when most regard it as a male-dominated and male-controlled subject.

A series of in-depth discussions with women in technology-based jobs has led to the following guidelines for anyone responsible for encouraging girls into a career in technology or sciences.

They are not a complete set of rules and they don't apply to all girls. They are simply guidelines recommended by women who know what it is like to forge a career in technology.

In the first instance, parents should make an effort to put the home computer in a centralised location and give girls and boys equal access. Is it any wonder girls aren't using a computer at home if it is kept in their brother's room?

Remember, girls like to join clubs and take evening classes with friends.

A girl who likes computers is unlikely to join a computer club by herself so if you run a computer club or teach computing, invite girls to join as a group.

Girls, too, need role models. They need to see women using computers competently and confidently. Have you looked at computing magazines? Almost all of the photographs are of men.

Teachers should make an effort to encourage girls and ask them questions that require higher-order thinking. Try to find time for girls to be on computers when boys are not around.

Teachers should try to choose a girl to help set up new hardware or software. How about starting a computer club designed to appeal to girls?

Inform them of what computer science as a career is really like. Girls may perceive it as a job where you spend all day in a cubicle with nothing but a machine for company.

There is also a perception computing is really glorified typing. This needs to be addressed early on.

Encourage girls to take "risks" with their computers. It's a real confidence booster when they succeed. Only step in if you need to.

Parents should try to purchase games that appeal to girls and encourage them to spend more time on the computer. The more time a young child spends on a computer, the more confident she will become with the machine.

Most girls respond better to collaborative assignments than competitive situations. Encourage collaborations but be alert to boys dominating the group.

Girls like to see what computers can do for them so show them how to write web pages or teach them to make a graph using a spreadsheet. Always make computing interesting and relevant.

Finally, and most importantly, find out what percentage of the students in the highest level of computer science taught at your child's school is girls.

If it is not at least 50 per cent, make the school aware of the problem. Talk to other parents and to the teachers to enlist their help.

If you do all this then one day soon there will be just as many high-achieving women in computing as there are men.