The big winner at South by Southwest this year: Women
Keynotes at this year’s SXSW conference were evenly split between men and women, unlike other major tech conferences, while men at the show are paying more attention to female entrepreneurs
By Michelle Castillo
The most talked about topic at the South by Southwest this year wasn’t a company or a trend: It was women in tech.
Official keynote speakers at the Austin tech and music conference this year were evenly split between men and women. Though it’s hard to tell exactly how many women spoke about tech-related issues because programming is fluctuating and tech topics crossed all 24 tracks, a source with knowledge about the situation said there were notably more women and gender-focused sessions than in prior years.
“Increasing inclusion and gender parity is something we’ve been working on for the better part of a decade, and it is important that the event represent people from all walks of life and all genders,” said a SXSW spokesperson.
Melinda Gates’ SXSW interactive keynote was dedicated to Time’s Up, the moment against sexual harassment — and men in the audience took it seriously.
“Men were asking questions about how they could support women in the workplace,” said Jennifer Beall Saxon, who founded on-demand stroller and car seat repair service Tot Squad.