Ladies first: that’s a motto that Tim Cook will bring into WWDC when it starts later today. Well, apparently, and sort of. Yesterday, the Apple CEO hinted to tech news website Mashable that the big event will see many more female speakers than in past years. It also seems that there could soon be a lot more people without a Y chromosome in Apple’s workplaces.
Mashable’s Christina Warren attended an Apple-hosted orientation session for WWDC Scholarship Program recipients, where she watched surprise guest Cook chat to some of these winners, including 12-year-old New York girl coder Kiera Cawley. Cook expressed his firm belief to Warren that “the most diverse group will produce the best product”, adding that there is potential for more female role models to encourage more women to enter the tech industry.
Cook said that Apple is endeavoring to reach out to junior high, high school and college females. Most crucially for later today, however, when the subject of the small number of women at previous WWDC keynotes was brought up, he replied: “Look tomorrow and let me know what you think. You’ll see a change tomorrow.”
