YouTube CEO Responds To Google Anti-Diversity Memo

- August 11, 2017

YouTube CEO Responds To The Google Anti-Diversity Memo, Says It Is ‘Hurtful’

TAXI Daily News / 4 hours ago

[Click here to view the video in this article]

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has joined the chorus of condemnation surrounding the viral diversity memo created by ex-Google engineer James Damore. Wojcickiit said that it exposed an ugly belief whispered in some corners of Silicon Valley—that women are biologically ill-suited for software engineering.

“That question, whether it’s been asked outright, whispered quietly, or simply lingered in the back of someone’s mind, has weighed heavily on me throughout my career in technology,” Wojcicki wrote in an op-ed published by Fortune.

“Though I’ve been lucky to work at a company where I’ve received a lot of support—from leaders like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, and Jonathan Rosenberg to mentors like Bill Campbell—my experience in the tech industry has shown me just how pervasive that question is.”

Wojcicki is unquestionably one of the most influential executives at Google, and among the most prominent executives in Silicon Valley. Despite her accomplishments, she says she’s faced persistent discrimination in Silicon Valley.

“I’ve had my abilities and commitment to my job questioned,” she wrote. “I’ve been left out of key industry events and social gatherings. I’ve had meetings with external leaders where they primarily addressed the more junior male colleagues. I’ve had my comments frequently interrupted and my ideas ignored until they were rephrased by men. No matter how often this all happened, it still hurt.”

She said Damore’s 10-page memo could discourage young women from pursuing computer programming. Internally, employees worry the memo might suggest women are not welcome at Google.

Read Wojcicki’s complete response here.

After being released from Google, Damore spoke up about the matter via YouTube.