Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen several tech investors and innovators in the industry come clean about sexual harassment. Nearly all have issued apologies and several have resigned as a means of redemption.
Justin Caldbeck, Travis Kalanick, and Dave McClure – these are just a few of the high-profile men who have been accused of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior towards women in the workplace. McClure confessed in a Medium blog post of having mistreated female colleagues. Soon after, Caldbeck confessed to a similar course of action in his own statement. On June 30, renowned Silicon Valley investor Chris Sacca also took to Medium to come clean about his behavior. The recognition of a very serious problem seems to be catching on and it looks like confession and repentance time for some male members of Silicon Valley.
Silicon Valley statistics definitely do not favor women or minorities. According to an industry survey, 89% of the top level managers in the top 72 firms are white men. Most women claim to fear retaliation and/or being fired if they speak up about misbehavior against them.
“Tech companies too often make witches out of vocal women,” wrote designer Julie Ann Horvath in a 2015 Medium post.
“There’s a real coercive element in this. People don’t realize how widespread sex discrimination, sexual harassment and age discrimination are. The public doesn’t get the message because people can’t speak out, at least not in their own names. These should be declared unenforceable as a matter of public policy,” said employment attorney Rita C. Tobin.
Silicon Valley is believed to be that part of the country where ambition is felt in the air, where dreams are made real through coding and technology, and where people take risks and exponential steps of development every day. Not once has it been said to be a place where only the men belong and rule. Given the recent turn of events, it looks like a change is about to come for women in technology.
Megha Shah for TechFunnel.com
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