WASHINGTON — The technology industry is known for many innovations, but a big part of it is entertainment. And like Hollywood, Silicon Valley shares a problem: sexual harassment.
“It used to be that people go to Hollywood to seek their fame and fortune,” said ForbesBooks Radio host and technology correspondent Gregg Stebben. “Now, people go to Silicon Valley and beyond” to other tech hubs, such as New York or Boston, Stebben said.
“At the end of the day, it is a glamour industry, and glamour industries have always had a problem of someone at the top taking advantage of people below them,” he said.
In recent months, Silicon Valley has been rocked by sexual harassment scandals that have led to the resignations of CEOs and investors. Earlier this month, 500 Startups co-founder Dave McClure resigned as general partner amid allegations that he harassed women at work. Binary Capital’s Justin Caldbeck took a leave of absence from the Silicon Valley firm after issuing an apology to the women he made to feel uncomfortable. And, of course, there is former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, who stepped down when it was exposed that the workplace under his management fostered a culture of sexual harassment and discrimination.
“The tech world has always presented itself as better, almost utopia,” Stebben said. “But when you read things about Silicon Valley … things seem to be more of the same.”
Stebben said that as more women seek positions on the board of companies, it may help to eliminate these abuses.
When women are more involved in the world of corporate business, Stebben believes it could help make [sexual harassment] go away because “working side by side, it’s harder for one group to have power over another … at least when it comes to sexual harassment,” Stebben said.
But, the industry is not there yet.
Listen to the interview with WTOP’s Dimitri Sotis below.
WTOP’s Dimitri Sotis contributed to this report.
