Still dealing with the anti-diversity memo controversy, Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the issue at a coding event for girls, assuring them of the importance of women in tech jobs.
“I want you to know there’s a place for you in this industry. There’s a place for you at Google. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You belong here, and we need you,” Pichai is quoted at saying in an article in The Verge.
Pichai also emphasised that Google is committed to building products for everyone in the world and hence believed in employing people who represented the world in totality. “So it’s really important that more women and girls have the opportunity to participate in technology, to learn how to code, create, and innovate,” he added.
His views came after an anti-diversity memo written by one of its engineers James Damore went viral. The manifesto claimed that “the representation gap between men and women in software engineering persists because of biological differences between the two sexes”. The controversy led to Damore being fired by Google on grounds of attacking the company’s diversity.
Earlier, Pichai said that the 10-page memo was out of line and that it “advanced harmful gender stereotypes”.
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