https://medium.com/@namphuongthidoan/the-silence-of-silicon-valley-c8a80d728692

Since its rise in the ’70s, Silicon Valley has become the synecdoche for the U.S. high-tech sector. It is the breeding ground of innovation, and simultaneously, of a toxic “bro” culture that perpetuates a variety of systemic issues. Last year, many women spoke up about sexual harassment and sexism in Silicon Valley, including Susan Fowler who disclosed her appalling experience at Uber. In this article, I will take a stab at unpacking the existing intersectional inequality and gender issues endorsed by the toxic culture of Silicon Valley, a culture of silence, or rather, silencing. Solving these issues is a design challenge that requires the decentralization of power in the growing creative-technology sector and constant attempts to put an end to colonial projects.

Growing up in a traditional public school system in Vietnam, I was always insecure that I wasn’t that good at maths. I adored my girl friends who did so well in any natural science subjects because to me that meant badass; to some others: nerds. When I visited MIT during college spring break, the boys there confessed to me that they “didn’t have many options” in terms of dating girls at MIT. I realized that the stigma of women working in technology or sciences was a global notion. Why is “women in science” such an anomaly, a wonder?