Google engineer sparks row by saying tech gender gap is down to biology
New York — Google found itself at the centre of controversy on Sunday after an employee in a leaked internal document claimed "biological causes" explained the lack of women in tech industry leadership roles. The screed — dubbed "sexist" by US media — went viral, reviving the simmering debate over a culture of sexism and lack of diversity in tech sectors. "I’m simply stating that the distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don’t see equal representation of women in tech and leadership," read the 3,000-word fulmination by an anonymous male software engineer. According to the author, natural aptitudes of men allow them to become better computer programmers. Women, he said, have more "openness directed towards feelings and aesthetics rather than ideas" — meaning they "prefer jobs in social or artistic areas". In response to the leaked memo, Danielle Brown, Google’s new vice-presiden...
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