Friday, August 11, 2017

One of Google’s highest-ranking women has answered that controversial memo with a very personal essay; Washington Post, August 9, 2017

Jena McGregor, Washington Post; One of Google’s highest-ranking women has answered that controversial memo with a very personal essay

"Like many Google leaders, Susan Wojcicki probably faced some difficult questions from employees this week about the controversial employee memo that exploded on social media. But the most personal question may have come from her daughter.

In an essay published by Fortune on Wednesday, the chief executive of YouTube, which is owned by Google, wrote that her daughter asked her about the memo, which raised questions about Google's diversity efforts and included statements about gender differences. It was written by a company engineer who was fired earlier this week in its aftermath. “Mom,” her daughter asked her, “is it true that there are biological reasons why there are fewer women in tech and leadership?”

Before revealing how she answered her daughter, Wojcicki said the question has been “pervasive,” based on her experience. “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.”"

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