For years there has been a push to get groups who are underrepresented in certain businesses more access to industries like tech.
As of 2022, women comprised only 26.7% of tech jobs while males make up 73.3% of tech employees in America. White Americans hold 62% of tech jobs, followed by Asians who make up 20%, Latinos who make up 8%, and Blacks who make up 7%, according to Enterprise Apps Today.
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In order to attract underrepresented groups, tech companies and other liaisons often organize job recruitment drives aimed at those specific demographics.
But that targeted recruitment has led to some major backlash from some groups who think it’s not fair that certain people get special treatment when it comes to some of the most high-paying, in-demand jobs in the country.
This resentment manifested itself recently at the Grace Hopper Conference organized by AnitaB.Org, an organization that focuses on “serving women in tech and non-bionary technologists.”
The conference was supposed to be a chance for women and people who identify as non-binary to get their resumes in front of some of the most influential people in tech. And while the organizations says that all people are welcome to the conference, the focus of the career fair portion is to get women more involved in tech. Instead the conference was reportedly “invaded” by men who claimed to be non-binary.
The organizers have since apologized “to those who did not have the experience they expected” #catchupnews #gracehopperconference #women
Female and non-binary attendees took to social media to complain about the number of men who were at the conference. Some complained about men cutting in front of them in lines at the job recruitment section of the conference. Others claimed outright harassment from some of the male attendees. Meanwhile the AnitaB.org was forced to address the situation at the conference.
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A message to cis men attending #GHC23 from Cullen White, Chief Impact Officer at https://t.co/t5BIqtZFZc. pic.twitter.com/HX6sU8uafp
— AnitaB.org (@AnitaB_org) September 27, 2023
The organization also addressed the presence of male attendees in another video.
A message to the https://t.co/t5BIqtZFZc community from Bo Young Lee, https://t.co/t5BIqtZFZc Advisory President pic.twitter.com/4ElGNwHZHc
— AnitaB.org (@AnitaB_org) September 29, 2023
Meanwhile, the groups who find these type of conferences discriminatory against men celebrated their victory.
People are literally discriminating based on gender (against men) on face at Grace Hopper Conference 2023. #GHC23
If men are not allowed for this career fair then why take money from them? pic.twitter.com/zWfDcNdlgc
— Nik (@nikhil_kadalge) September 29, 2023
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