Chapter 1: The State of Women in Tech

It's a well-known fact that the tech industry still lacks sufficient representation of women. As a senior female professional managing a predominantly male team, I witness this disparity firsthand.

While various factors contribute to this issue, a lack of interest from women in tech is not among them. Consequently, companies and event organizers strive to foster diversity. They often spend considerable time searching online for female experts to feature at their events, lamenting the difficulty of finding these so-called elusive women.

In today's climate, no one wants to be accused of hosting an all-male panel, a practice that was already criticized as outdated back in 2019. Nowadays, the tech community is quick to call out events that lack gender diversity.

But what if there was a shortcut to achieving the appearance of diversity without putting in the real effort? What if organizers simply fabricated female speakers? Would anyone notice?

Despite ongoing initiatives, little progress has been made. Even with the establishment of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) focused on diversity and inclusion, and the promotion of inspiring women as role models at recruitment events, the tech sector continues to be dominated by men. Women currently occupy only about 25% of all tech positions, and in many instances, I find myself as the sole woman in the room.

The situation seems to be worsening. According to Jessica Hubert at Exploding Topics, the percentage of women in tech-related roles has declined by 2.1% in recent years.

So, is it time to throw in the towel? Some members of the tech community appear to be heading down that path, possibly for quite some time.

Recently, Gergely Orosz took to LinkedIn to criticize the organizers of DevTernity 2023 for listing fictitious female speakers on their website.

DevTernity, described as the leading international software development conference and featuring tickets priced up to $870, was called out for its lack of genuine female representation. Orosz discovered that one of the three women speakers advertised, Anna Boyko, supposedly an engineer at Coinbase and a contributor to Ethereum, was entirely fabricated.

While one might consider this a simple oversight, Orosz's investigation revealed a troubling trend. Boyko was not the only fictitious speaker; similar claims of non-existent women were found on other event websites run by the same organizers.

This alarming revelation sparked outrage on LinkedIn, as individuals identified as women in tech voiced their discontent in response to Orosz's post. Within a day, the post garnered nearly 5000 comments and 600 shares, leading to significant backlash.

As a result, many tech leaders from prominent companies like Microsoft and Google withdrew from the conference, causing the DevTernity website to go offline. This left many wondering if the conference would ultimately be canceled.

Chapter 2: The Fallout

The reaction to the situation has not been favorable for the organizers. Eduards Sizovs, who founded DevTernity, attempted to deflect blame by suggesting the issue was merely a website error, claiming he has always prioritized inclusion and diversity.

However, many commenters reminded him of his alleged past missteps, including an incident where he impersonated a female coder online.

In less than 48 hours since Orosz's initial post, it became evident that the backlash was swift and severe, leaving many questioning whether such a drastic response was warranted. If Sizovs consciously allowed false representations to obscure the lack of diversity among speakers, he deserves to be held accountable.

The tech industry is filled with individuals who dismiss the lack of diversity as a non-issue, preferring to remain in their comfort zones. Some view women as obstacles rather than colleagues.

As a woman of color in tech, I often find myself in meetings dominated by men, where questions about the need for diversity and inclusion initiatives arise. Surprisingly, I have even faced comments from older male colleagues expressing their belief that women now have too many opportunities.

However, should an entire conference be canceled over this incident? I'm torn.

Conferences provide invaluable opportunities to connect with peers, rekindle old friendships, and learn new concepts. For speakers, preparing for these events requires considerable effort.

In this case, we risk punishing many individuals beyond the organizers. What’s your opinion? Does the response fit the offense?

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