Girls who code, a nonprofit advocating increasing the number of women in computer science, has ended its partnership with Activision Blizzard over ongoing allegations of “attack, harassment and a toxic work environment” within the company.
“Our priority has been and always will be to stand up for women and other underrepresented groups in the technology industry and to ensure they get the support and stability they need to actively pursue careers in computer science,” said Girls Who Code in a opinion.
“The message from Activision proves that our priorities are fundamentally misaligned. We cannot with a clear conscience continue to work with a company that is so contrary to our own values. “
Girls Who Code said the nature of the tech industry means it only works with companies willing to address the impact of systemic racism, sexism, discrimination and harassment on corporate practices and workplace culture. It works with partners to find solutions to its shortcomings, but “there is a limit and the allegations against Activision have exceeded that limit”.
Our priority has been and always will be to stand up for underrepresented groups in technology and make sure they get the support they need to be successful at work. This news proves that our priorities are fundamentally misaligned and we can no longer work with them.November 18, 2021
The two-week Girls Who Code Summer Immersion program, open to sophomore girls, juniors and seniors, provides participants with insights into careers in technology, introduces them to women in the field, and gives them access to “a supportive sorority of Girls in Technology “. . “Blizzard has sponsored the program since 2018, but it’s nowhere near the only heavyweight division: 2021 partner include Bank of America, AT&T, Walmart, Apple and P&G as well as technology companies Dell, Logitech, Humble Bundle, Rockstar, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Riot, Zynga, Ubisoft and Lisa Su, which is actually not a technology company but is the President and CEO of AMD.
“We show solidarity with those at Activision who have bravely shared their experiences and hope they see the justice and accountability they deserve,” said Girls Who Code. “We also stand by their colleagues who have suffered the side effects of such corporate governance failures.”
Activision Blizzard has been controversial since the California Department for Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against the company in July alleging widespread discrimination, sexual harassment and a “frat-boy” work culture. The situation worsened for the company and especially for CEO Bobby Kotick earlier this week after new allegations that Kotick had been aware of the allegations for years and had also threatened the murder of an assistant.
The Girls Who Code statement comes just a day after similar criticism of Activision Blizzard from Xbox boss Phil Spencer and Sony Interactive president and CEO Jim Ryan. Around 1,600 Activision Blizzard employees have also signed a petition asking them to step down from Kotick.
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