Elpha, an online community of 35,000-plus women in tech, recently released its survey of the best places for women in tech to work in 2021. The study, compiled of responses from nearly 2,000 respondents, ranked workplaces anonymously based on many different factors, from the role of allies and communities of fellow female employees to the number of women in leadership roles. Perhaps even more interesting than the actual company rankings though were the reasons that women rated companies poorly. As the report states, "Elpha members who rated their companies 1-5 cited poor direct management, microaggressions, and a 'white-male-driven power structure' as contributing to environments they would not recommend to other women... Women also mentioned mansplaining, harassment, and sexism as top causes for low company scores." The company rankings were divided up into a "big guys" category and startups, and while there are a few recognizable names on there, you may notice the absence of many of the mega companies on the list. We'll let you decide if that's happenstance or not. (See WiCipedia: Pandemic culture shifts rank of best cities for WiT.) Figure 1: In other words, how can men mess up the most? (Source: Elpha)

An article in the New York Times by ex-Google engineer Emi Nietfeld portrays an unflinching glimpse into what it feels like to be sucked into the Google (or likely any major tech company) vortex. The article, titled "After Working at Google, I'll Never Let Myself Love a Job Again," explores Nietfeld's love affair – and dependence – with all of the perks that the company provided, from the on-site gym to food to pretty much any regular service you can think of. Those perks came with a cost, though. Nietfeld describes how when a superior started sexually harassing her and HR brushed her claims under the rug, she initially thought it was just the cost of working in such an otherwise ideal environment. "Google was the Garden of Eden; I lived in fear of being cast out," she writes. Yet when her harasser, who other women had also accused of unacceptable behavior, wasn't fired, she knew she had to leave. "After I quit, I promised myself to never love a job again. Not in the way I loved Google. Not with the devotion businesses wish to inspire when they provide for employees' most basic needs like food and health care and belonging. No publicly traded company is a family. I fell for the fantasy that it could be," Nietfeld explained. She is currently writing a book about her experience working at Google. (See WiCipedia: Google employees protest and unionize.)

A recent article in The Guardian highlights that many tech critics happen to be women. The author, who calls this phenomenon "tech-bro gender-blindness," points to female techies' criticism of Apple's lack of a menstruation tracker in its Health app, VR headsets that are designed for the facial configurations of men and oversized smartphones that are too large for most women to comfortably hold. Coincidence, or design flaw? The author writes, "What does this interesting correlation tell us? Quite a lot, as it happens. The first conclusion is that the industry that is reshaping our societies and undermining our democracies is overwhelmingly dominated by males. Yet – with a few honourable exceptions – male critics seem relatively untroubled by, or phlegmatic about, this particular aspect of the industry." If men are designing most consumer tech products, it makes sense that women would be the ones finding the flaws as important sectors of the market have likely been overlooked. This is why it's crucial for the industry to advocate for and welcome more women. (See WiCipedia: Should tech jobs require college degrees?)

The Pacific Northwest (where this editor happens to live), is a bastion of free speech, and it also happens to be home to some of the world's most prominent tech companies (such as Amazon). Two local women-in-tech groups, one in Portland and one in Seattle, are stepping up to make sure that women's voices are heard as the industry expands in the region. KIRO7, a Seattle news outlet, explains that the Seattle Women Who Code chapter is actively working to empower women in tech through ensuring that girls and women are able to speak out about inequality in school and work. Over in Oregon, a press release from Portland Women in Tech (PDXWIT) says that the group is working to "model inclusivity" by rewording its mission statement. The group is now taking a firmer stance on inclusivity for all minority groups. The new mission statement says, "We are building a better tech industry by creating access, dismantling inequities and fueling belonging." It's clear that networking and educational groups can create great change, and set an example for small and large companies alike for how minorities in tech should be treated. (See WiCipedia: How to create a diverse board.)

— Eryn Leavens, Special Features & Copy Editor, Light Reading. Follow us on Twitter @LR_WiC and contact Eryn directly at [email protected].