Although Ivanka has indeed been very engaged in women’s empowerment as well as employment perks for US workers, many have argued the main condition for being an electronics show speaker, let alone a keynote one, is expertise in technology – something the presidential adviser and eldest daughter conspicuously lacks.
Harsh backlash has ensued after First Daughter and White House adviser Ivanka was selected as a keynote speaker at the CES electronic trade show in Las Vegas, dedicated to the role of women in technology.
Despite Ivanka famously dealing with women’s empowerment issues at large, many instantly took aim at her apparent lack of experience in the technology industry.
For instance, per technology commentator Rachel Solar, there are much better candidates available to fill the speaker’s role.
“This is a terrible choice on so many levels but also – what an insult to the years and years of protesting how few women were invited to keynote & being told it was a pipeline problem while similarly-situated men were elevated”, Solar complained.
Cindy Chin, chief executive of the consultancy CLC Advisors likewise drew attention to Ivanka’s lack of experience in the sphere.
“It would be better if the background of the keynote speaker actually fit the industry it is serving and inspirational rather than talking heads and political”, she pointed out arguing there needs to be “more systematic representation of speakers across the board and not just for keynotes”.
Netizens also expressed their disappointment with the choice of speaker, with some stating they have thus been put off from attending such events:
“Perfect example of why CES is worse than useless and we no longer attend”, Donna L Hoffman posted, with another potential guest retorting to the news about Ivanka’s selection:
Some couldn’t help but again bring up the nepotism rhetoric:
“But Republicans told me it was wrong for the child of an elected official to get paid for a job they have zero expertise for”, one tweeted, while another posted laconically: “what a joke & insult”.
Several meanwhile came up with practical tips on how to make women in tech heard:
The Consumer Electronics Show, commonly referred to by the abbreviation CES, announced the keynote speaker news this week. Ivanka is scheduled to give a speech on jobs and the future alongside Gary Shapiro, the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The First Daughter enthusiastically outlined the event agenda in a statement:
Sourse: sputniknews.com
