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Martha Lane Fox condemns bias against women in tech sector Martha Lane Fox condemns bias against women in tech sector
(34 minutes later)
There is an “unconscious bias” against women in the technology sector, according to dotcom entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox.There is an “unconscious bias” against women in the technology sector, according to dotcom entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox.
Baroness Lane-Fox, who co-founded Lastminute.com in the online boom of the early 2000s and entered the House of Lords in 2013, said she had originally thought the internet would level the playing field. Lady Lane-Fox, who co-founded Lastminute.com in the online boom of the early 2000s and entered the House of Lords in 2013, said she had originally thought the internet would level the playing field.
She described the growth of the internet as the “industrial revolution of our time” and said that unless women were at the forefront of it, the UK would regress.She described the growth of the internet as the “industrial revolution of our time” and said that unless women were at the forefront of it, the UK would regress.
“All that’s happened is that one bunch of very rich white men have transferred their money to another bunch of very rich white men and, worse than that, they are in a very small concentrated area of the world, in Silicon Valley,” she said.“All that’s happened is that one bunch of very rich white men have transferred their money to another bunch of very rich white men and, worse than that, they are in a very small concentrated area of the world, in Silicon Valley,” she said.
“There is a cycle of behaviour in the venture capital community which I don’t think is overt sexism, I think there is some, but I don’t think it is the only reason but there is a lot of unconscious bias.“There is a cycle of behaviour in the venture capital community which I don’t think is overt sexism, I think there is some, but I don’t think it is the only reason but there is a lot of unconscious bias.
“If you are a venture capitalist and you are looking at risk you are less likely to invest in someone that is not like you.”“If you are a venture capitalist and you are looking at risk you are less likely to invest in someone that is not like you.”
Lane-Fox was speaking at the Cheltenham literature festival to outline her plans for her Dot Everyone project, which aims to advance the understanding of the digital age. “In 2009 I got asked by Gordon Brown if I would look at the issue of digital skills in the country. At that time I had no idea that there were around 10 million adults who had never used the internet.Lane-Fox was speaking at the Cheltenham literature festival to outline her plans for her Dot Everyone project, which aims to advance the understanding of the digital age. “In 2009 I got asked by Gordon Brown if I would look at the issue of digital skills in the country. At that time I had no idea that there were around 10 million adults who had never used the internet.
“So I set off on this mission and I wasn’t too sure where it would lead. I have become devoted to the transformation of people’s lives through access to technology, hence Dot Everyone.“So I set off on this mission and I wasn’t too sure where it would lead. I have become devoted to the transformation of people’s lives through access to technology, hence Dot Everyone.
“I would argue that we should proceed with pace about skilling up our population.“I would argue that we should proceed with pace about skilling up our population.
“We are a very small country and there is only about 60 or 70 million of us and we are basically the size of a large Chinese or Indian city and I would argue that gives us a huge opportunity to really think about how we can be leaders over the next 10, 20 and 100 years.“We are a very small country and there is only about 60 or 70 million of us and we are basically the size of a large Chinese or Indian city and I would argue that gives us a huge opportunity to really think about how we can be leaders over the next 10, 20 and 100 years.
“Why don’t we just make ourselves the best-skilled nation on the planet?”“Why don’t we just make ourselves the best-skilled nation on the planet?”