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TechB次元官网网址檚 big gadget show edges closer to gender equity

This year,44 per cent of the current keynoters are women B次元官网网址 60 per cent of them women of colour
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The worldB次元官网网址檚 largest tech conference has apparently learned a big lesson about gender equity.

CES, the huge annual consumer-electronics show in Las Vegas, caught major flak from activists in late 2017 when it unveiled an all-male lineup of keynote speakers for the second year in a row. Although it later added two female keynoters , the gatheringB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渂oysB次元官网网址 clubB次元官网网址 reputation remained intact. It didnB次元官网网址檛 help that one of the unsanctioned events latching on to CES last year was a nightclub featuring female B次元官网网址渞obot strippers.B次元官网网址

This year, four of the nine current keynoters are women. GenderAvenger, the activist group that raised a ruckus last year, recently sent CES organizers a congratulatory letter and awarded the show a B次元官网网址淕old Stamp of ApprovalB次元官网网址 for a roster of keynote and B次元官网网址渇eaturedB次元官网网址 speakers that it says is 45 per cent women B次元官网网址 60 per cent of them women of colour.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a significant change for CES, which like most tech conferences remains disproportionately male, just like the industry it serves. Even absent the robot dogs, sci-fi worthy gadgets and B次元官网网址渂ooth babesB次元官网网址 CES has been known for, you could readily peg it as a technology show from the bathroom lines alone B次元官网网址 where men shift uncomfortably as they wait their turn while women waltz right in.

Keynoters this year include IBM CEO Ginni Rometty; Lisa Su, CEO of chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices; and U.S. Transportation Security Elaine Chao. The entire featured speaker list is currently half female, although the exact percentage wonB次元官网网址檛 be known until after the event. B次元官网网址淭here is no question we keep trying to do better,B次元官网网址 said Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES.

B次元官网网址淒iversity is about having people who see things differently B次元官网网址 frankly, disagree with you and tell you that you are stupid,B次元官网网址 said Tania Yuki, CEO of social media analytics company Shareablee and an attendee of CES for the past several years. The big question, she says, is whether CES has really listened to its critics.

CES is the place to be for tech companies and startups to show off their latest gadgets and features. More than 180,000 people are expected to attend this year, and some 4,500 companies will be on the convention floor. Among them are newcomers like Tide maker Procter & Gamble, defence contractor Raytheon and tractor seller John Deere B次元官网网址 all eager to burnish their technology bona fides.

But really levelling the playing field often means more than inviting female CEOs to speak. For starters, women and people of colour are underrepresented in the tech industry, especially in leadership and technical roles. So, conference organizers might need to look harder, or be more flexible in who they invite to speak.

There are also optics. While recent attendees say B次元官网网址渂ooth babesB次元官网网址 B次元官网网址 scantily clad women hawking gadgets B次元官网网址 no longer seem to be a presence, some companies still hire B次元官网网址渇itness models,B次元官网网址 largely young women wearing tight-fitting outfits, to demo products. This can make it difficult for the few women at the show who are there as executives, engineers and other technologists, as men mistake them for models, too.

B次元官网网址淲hen you are talking about scantily clad models you are setting a tone,B次元官网网址 said Bobbie Carlton, the founder of Innovation Women, a speaker bureau for women. B次元官网网址淚t is a slippery slope and you end up with this type of mentality that runs through industry, where women are objectified and are only useful if they look good.B次元官网网址

More optics: Until recently, a porn convention taking place immediately after CES appeared more diverse than CES itself. Not a good look for the tech confab.

There are also logistical challenges, Carlton said. For example, women often work for smaller companies, which can find it more challenging to B次元官网网址渟end someone cross-country to stay at a fancy hotel for three days,B次元官网网址 she said.

Rajia Abdelaziz is CEO of invisaWear, a startup that makes smart B次元官网网址渟afety jewelry.B次元官网网址 While sheB次元官网网址檚 attending CES this year, she said it wasnB次元官网网址檛 worth the $10,000 it would cost her company to have its own convention-floor booth. In addition to the cost concerns, Abdelaziz notes that her products are primarily aimed at women B次元官网网址 and there just arenB次元官网网址檛 that many of them at CES.

Women are also still more likely to be responsible for the home and for child care, so they might turn down speaking opportunities if the timing doesnB次元官网网址檛 work for them, Carlton said.

CES has tried to make some concessions. For example, it offers private pods for women to pump breast milk at the event. But it doesnB次元官网网址檛 offer child care support, unlike the smaller Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing conference, a fall event aimed at women in computer science.

Organizers note that children are not permitted at CES. Although kids are also banned from Grace Hopper, that conference still manages to offer free child care for attendees.

Still, Yuki is hopeful that CES is on the right track. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a big conference,B次元官网网址 she said. B次元官网网址淵ou can only turn a very big ship very slowly.B次元官网网址

Associated Press Writer Joseph Pisani contributed to this story.

Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press

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