The Grace Hopper Celebration, an event meant to boost female presence in the tech world, has been disrupted by the “invasion” of men seeking opportunities in the industry.
This is an intrusion that raises questions about fairness and competition, in a sector already heavily dominated by men. The Grace Hopper Celebration, a technology conference celebrating women and non-binary people that took place in Orlando (United States) at the end of September, simply turned into a nightmare for many participants. The Florida edition of this event was marked by a significant increase in male participation.
A job fair dedicated to women shaken up by the irruption of men
This job fair, sponsored by technological giants like Apple, Amazon, and media of a certain stature, such as Bloomberg, is in theory the ideal networking place for future female tech workers. But this year, men flocked, drawing their resumes, looking for lucrative opportunities.
The Anita-B.org Institute, which organized the conference, stressed that it could not bar men from the event, due to U.S. federal protections against discrimination. The organizers could only express their disappointment at this situation.
But previous editions had nevertheless been marked by a very majority presence of women. And the controversy of this edition installed in Florida reflects the current difficulties encountered in the technology sector, which has experienced significant layoffs in recent years, such as Google and its elimination of 12,000 jobs. Tech jobs are becoming rarer, and future workers in the sector face increased competition.
Gender equity in Tech in question
The sector is suffering from great difficulties. Women and non-binary people still remain underrepresented, which further caused tension with the men present at the conference for those struggling to find their place in the industry.
Videos posted on social media showed a sea of men lining up to attend the conference or speak with recruiters. Others also relayed extracts from their walk around the show, during which we see men in every corner.
What is experienced as an intrusion has left many women annoyed, with some having difficulty making themselves heard or standing out. While some call for even more to be done for equity and inclusion, others make the bitter observation that there are simply not enough women in this sector.
Source : Wired
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