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Entity reveals what you should know about silicon valley women.

Silicon Valley is pretty cool. It’s constantly rolling out new Facebook updates and goodies for our smart phones, but it’s known for being a boys club. For females braving the tech industry here’s what you should know about Silicon Valley women.

1 There are more women living in Silicon Valley than men                                                            

It’s true that most tech jobs are held by men but of those actually living in Silicon Valley the population is pretty average. Similar to California’s overall population a 2015 research brief by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional studies found that the population was 50.22 percent female and 49.78 percent male, nearly 50/50.

2 Women aren’t picked up by firms just because they need a token female                                        

Though tech companies are coming under fire for hiring practices and lack of gender diversity, it’s unlikely that a company will ignore qualifications for the sake of diversity. It is more likely that women will be judged more competitively, and might be more qualified for the same position given to their male peers. A 2012 study found that science faculty members of both genders were more likely to choose résumés for lab positions that had a male name rather than a female one, despite having the same qualifications. A 2014 report conducted by the American Management Association found that female Fortune 500 CEO’s are more qualified than their male counterparts.

3 Sexism is very much alive                                                                                                                                  

Women in Silicon Valley are notoriously discriminated against. A study called The Elephant in the Valley published earlier this year asked 200+ women about their experiences working in Silicon Valley. Sixty percent of women reported experiencing unwanted sexual advances. Eighty Four percent of women reported being told they were too aggressive. Sixty six percent reported feeling excluded from social activities because of their gender.

4 Women are discouraged from family life                                                                                                       

The same study found that 75 percent of women are asked about marital status and children in their interviews. Forty percent of women felt the need to speak less about their family to be taken seriously, and 52 percent of women shortened their maternity leave because they felt like the full leave would negatively impact their career. Even companies trying to attract and push forward more female-friendly policies like Apple and Facebook are encouraging women to delay family life by freezing their eggs.

5 Immigrant women whose husbands work in tech are barred from working themselves because of tough immigration laws                                                     

Silicon Valley is attracting talent from all over the world but when techies move their families to The Valley their wives are barred from working. There is a growing movement, as The Guardian reports, of women forced in to being housewives because of tough immigration laws. The growing discontent, between “tech wives” only points to the larger gender issues in Silicon Valley, and across the country as a whole. Women tend to work less high paying careers, which only increases discrimination and gender biases.

Edited by Carmen Campbell

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