Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 TECHNOLOGY
Saturday 5 January 2019
Tech's big gadget show edges closer to gender equity

By BARBARA ORTUTAY about scantily clad models
AP Technology Writer you are setting a tone," said
NEW YORK (AP) — The Bobbie Carlton, the found-
world's largest tech con- er of Innovation Women, a
ference has apparently speaker bureau for wom-
learned a big lesson about en. "It is a slippery slope and
gender equity. you end up with this type of
CES, the huge annual con- mentality that runs through
sumer-electronics show in industry, where women are
Las Vegas, caught major objectified and are only
flak from activists in late useful if they look good."
2017 when it unveiled an More optics: Until recently,
all-male lineup of keynote a porn convention taking
speakers for the second place immediately after
year in a row. Although it CES appeared more di-
later added two female verse than CES itself. Not a
keynoters , the gathering's good look for the tech con-
"boys' club" reputation re- fab.
mained intact. It didn't There are also logistical
help that one of the un- challenges, Carlton said.
sanctioned events latching For example, women often
on to CES last year was a work for smaller compa-
nightclub featuring female nies, which can find it more
"robot strippers." challenging to "send some-
This year, four of the nine one cross-country to stay
current keynoters are wom- at a fancy hotel for three
en. GenderAvenger, the In this Jan. 4, 2017, photo a woman participates in a virtual realty presentation during an Intel days," she said.
activist group that raised news conference before CES International in Las Vegas. Rajia Abdelaziz is CEO of
a ruckus last year, recent- Associated Press invisaWear, a startup that
ly sent CES organizers a makes smart "safety jew-
congratulatory letter and room lines alone — where do better," said Gary Sha- est gadgets and features. elry." While she's attend-
awarded the show a "Gold men shift uncomfortably piro, CEO of the Consumer More than 180,000 people ing CES this year, she said
Stamp of Approval" for a as they wait their turn while Technology Association, are expected to attend this it wasn't worth the $10,000
roster of keynote and "fea- women waltz right in. which organizes CES. year, and some 4,500 com- it would cost her company
tured" speakers that it says The four-day CES show "Diversity is about having panies will be on the con- to have its own conven-
is 45 percent women — 60 opens Tuesday, though me- people who see things dif- vention floor. Among them tion-floor booth. In addition
percent of them women of dia previews begin Sunday. ferently — frankly, disagree are newcomers like Tide to the cost concerns, Ab-
color. Keynoters this year include with you and tell you that maker Procter & Gamble, delaziz notes that her prod-
It's a significant change for IBM CEO Ginni Rometty; you are stupid," said Tania defense contractor Ray- ucts are primarily aimed at
CES, which like most tech Lisa Su, CEO of chipmaker Yuki, CEO of social media theon and tractor seller women — and there just
conferences remains dis- Advanced Micro Devices; analytics company Share- John Deere — all eager aren't that many of them
proportionately male, just and U.S. Transportation ablee and an attendee to burnish their technology at CES. Women are also still
like the industry it serves. Security Elaine Chao. The of CES for the past several bona fides. more likely to be respon-
Even absent the robot entire featured speaker list years. The big question, she But really leveling the play- sible for the home and for
dogs, sci-fi worthy gadgets is currently half female, al- says, is whether CES has re- ing field often means more child care, so they might
and "booth babes" CES has though the exact percent- ally listened to its critics. than inviting female CEOs turn down speaking oppor-
been known for, you could age won't be known until CES is the place to be for to speak. For starters, wom- tunities if the timing doesn't
readily peg it as a technol- after the event. "There is no tech companies and start- en and people of color are work for them, Carlton said.
ogy show from the bath- question we keep trying to ups to show off their lat- underrepresented in the CES has tried to make some
tech industry, especially in concessions. For example,
leadership and technical it offers private pods for
roles. So, conference orga- women to pump breast
nizers might need to look milk at the event. But it
harder, or be more flexible doesn't offer child care
in who they invite to speak. support, unlike the smaller
There are also optics. While Grace Hopper Celebration
recent attendees say for Women in Computing
"booth babes" — scantily conference, a fall event
clad women hawking gad- aimed at women in com-
gets — no longer seem to puter science.
be a presence, some com- Organizers note that chil-
panies still hire "fitness mod- dren are not permitted at
els," largely young women CES. Although kids are also
wearing tight-fitting outfits, banned from Grace Hop-
to demo products. This can per, that conference still
make it difficult for the few manages to offer free child
women at the show who care for attendees.
are there as executives, Still, Yuki is hopeful that CES
engineers and other tech- is on the right track. "It's a
nologists, as men mistake big conference," she said.
them for models, too. "You can only turn a very
"When you are talking big ship very slowly."q