‘Brotopia’ has spread over the past few decades far and wide especially in technology hubs around the country, but one woman on a mission is hoping to shed light and bring gender equality to the tech space.
Emily Chang’s book Brotopia: Breaking Up The Boys Club Of Silicon Valley, looks to revolutionize the gender discrepancies starting in Silicon Valley, but ultimately even beyond.
Her book suggests that Silicon Valley’s “Bro Culture” has negative ramifications for everyone, especially women who feel marginalized, demeaned and violated by the demands made by male superiors in the workplace.
An excerpt from the book published in Vanity Fair before the book was even out caused quite a stir. The excerpt talks about all of the sex parties in Silicon Valley.
Emily says, “I don’t want to jump into a hot tub and pitch my next big idea.”
One of the biggest tech bros of them all, Elon Musk even weighed in calling the idea preposterous.
But then again a lot of what comes out of Musk’s mouth is also preposterous. I guess it takes one to know one.
As a tech journalist Emily has been talking to CEO’s about the gender disparities and prodding?for answers getting unwelcoming responses from head honchos in the game.
We’re looking very hard to hire women, but we’re not prepared to lower our standards.
anonymous tech investor per emily chang
Surprisingly Emily says that Silicon Valley was not always a boy’s club hub. Women in the 40s and 50s played huge roles in programming computers for Nasa and the military.
Things changed not in favor of the female sex when in the 60s and 70s tech companies started doing aptitude tests to see who would “make for a good programmer” and it turns out those faulty tests showed men were more qualified and more competent in this bent.
This is when the stereotypical white tech nerd became the face of the tech industry.
The disparities bleed into technology themselves with online harassing of women far outnumbering what men get.
Also facial recognition technology can pin point most white men to a tee, but women of color are misidentified more than 35% of the time because the technology was set up by white meant who are well, let’s just say limited to their surroundings to a large extent.
Women are getting left out because it’s mostly men building these new technologies.
What has improved – a lot employee agitation including a multitude of walkouts, namely google where 20,000 frustrated workers up and walked out.
The walkout was over how the company was handling sexual harassment. Google did take note and has updated its policies since.
Emily believes change is happening, but ultimately real change will happen when we find women in the board rooms and leading the charge.
Until then let’s just hope all the tech Bro’s especially here in the Bay Area start getting clued in to the power of equality and why women might just take over with I don’t know a “Wotopia?”
Hmmmm, that’s got kind of a ring to it.
Talking about rad women, check this previous post –
