#MeToo: I Come From a LONG Heritage of Chauvinism

Today, the #MeToo thread has started to spread all over social media. I want to point you to an article I wrote for women entrepreneurs on how to deal with sexual advances from VCs some time back.

As an attractive woman in the male dominated technology industry, I have dealt with my share of sexual advances. I have never named names in public. I am still not naming names or recounting anecdotes.

Why? Because I come from a very long heritage of chauvinism that I have been fighting all my life. I need to tackle the subject at a much larger, more comprehensive scale.

I am not ready to spend the kind of energy necessary to focus on this issue at the moment, mainly because I am deeply immersed in 1Mby1M, which I believe is making a difference, including for women entrepreneurs, and it’s not necessarily a good idea to deviate from this focused endeavor for now.

One day, I will though. Most likely, it will be through one of the tools that I have at my disposal that gives me an unfair advantage: writing.

Until then, this article, I hope, will give women entrepreneurs ammunition to tackle sexual misconduct.

All this being said, please be mindful of the fact that rejection from VCs does not tantamount to gender bias. Over 99% of the entrepreneurs who look to raise money get rejected. Rejection, in itself, is NOT to be read as sexual harassment.

Please read: Women Entrepreneurs: How To Deal With Sexual Advances From VCs