In China's booming tech scene, women battle sexism and conservative values
China is not the only country where the tech industry has faced heat over a lack of diversity in the workplace, but concerns are rising
Ms Li has a day job in the marketing department of one of China’s biggest tech firms. At night, she has a second career, live-streaming herself eating noodles or telling jokes in return for small donations from thousands of online viewers.
Li, 28, says she is one of at least five women in her office who moonlight to bolster their incomes. She says this is because she and her female peers are paid less than male colleagues and are often overlooked for promotion.
The late nights live-streaming on the YY.com social media platform are worth it, Li says, even though she has been reprimanded twice by her firm for moonlighting.
“The first time I was punished I was scared for my job, but I don’t worry too much now,” Li said. She asked that her first name and the name of her employer not be used. “It’s not such a risk to work on the side if you know you’re not going anywhere.”
In recent years, China’s tech industry has boomed, with champions like the e-commerce titan Alibaba and Tencent, the social media-to-gaming leader, making waves on the global stage. But Li’s account of unequal pay at her company, which Reuters was unable to verify independently, underscores how women are often sidelined in that boom.