Good riddance Travis Kalanick: one woman’s victory against sexist tech | Hannah Jane Parkinson | Technology | The Guardian
So then, zero stars for Travis Kalanick. The Uber co-founder and CEO has stepped down after a tumultuous period culminating in a spotlight being shone on the companys corporate environment of sexism, as revealed in a powerful blogpost by former employee Susan Fowler. Make no mistake; this is largely Fowlers victory and proof that speaking out can reap dividends, despite the risks involved and the bravery it takes.It has taken just four months since Fowler wrote her exposé whoch has been retweeted more than 22,000 times for Kalanick to fall on his priapic sword.
In the blogpost, Fowler detailed how on her very first day in the job a colleague sent her chat messages propositioning sex. Even though the HR department conceded that this was sexual harassment, and that it later emerged other women had suffered the same treatment, the colleague was not punished. Fowler was essentially told to forget about it. She also noted that Ubers female staff 25% of employees had dropped to 6% during her time there. An exodus of women due to both the chaotic nature of the organisation but more specifically, the insidious sexism.
