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Prominent Tech Conference Faces Backlash for Keynote Lineup: 19 Men, 1 Woman

By
Verne Kopytoff
Verne Kopytoff
Senior Editor, Tech
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By
Verne Kopytoff
Verne Kopytoff
Senior Editor, Tech
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 1, 2018, 8:16 PM ET
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One of the most prominent technology conferences has 19 men scheduled as keynote speakers out of 20 total, highlighting the continued challenges the industry faces with diversity.

The one lone woman keynote speaker at RSA, a computer security conference to be held in San Francisco next month, is Monica Lewinsky, who has become an anti cyber-bullying activist after her role in President Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

The tech industry has faced intense criticism for its lack of gender diversity at conferences. In January, CES, the electronics trade show in Las Vegas, faced similar complaints for the skewed gender makeup of its solo keynote speakers, all of whom were men.

Fortune contacted RSA for comment and will update this post if it receives a response.

RSA told news site Axios that 20% of its overall speakers will be women, albeit in less prominent roles. “This year, RSA Conference will feature more than 130 female speakers tackling everything from data integrity to hybrid clouds to application security, among other topics,” the organizers told Axios.

They also pointed out to USA Today that the conference keynote lineup is not yet final and other speakers may be added later. Additionally, it shifted some of the blame to the technology industry itself, in which women fill a minority of technical roles including in the computer security field.

About the Author
By Verne KopytoffSenior Editor, Tech
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Verne Kopytoff is a senior editor at Fortune overseeing trends in the tech industry. 

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