# Why is Silicon Valley still a boys' club?

> WIRED investigates the state of women in tech as the industry swings right and gender talk disappears.
- Title: Why is Silicon Valley still a boys' club? · WIRED | Shortify
- Summary: WIRED investigates the state of women in tech as the industry swings right and gender talk disappears. Silicon Valley's gender problem persists even as the…
- Keywords: silicon valley, women in tech, gender inequality, dei backlash, tech industry, mark zuckerberg, elon musk, artificial intelligence, venture capital, workplace culture, tech leadership, Silicon
- Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/livestream-women-in-tech
- Author: Sandra Upson
- Published: 2026-09-18T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: silicon valley, women in tech, gender inequality, dei backlash, tech industry, mark zuckerberg, elon musk, artificial intelligence, venture capital, workplace culture, tech leadership
## Tech swings right, gender talk dies
As Silicon Valley embraced Trump and the right, tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk rejected gender conversations. Zuckerberg declared masculine energy was needed while Musk cut federal female workers most of all.

> masculine energy was needed
## WIRED investigates the backlash
In 2026, WIRED examined gender in Silicon Valley amid the DEI and woke backlash. The investigation found frustrated women, confusion over new AI leaders, and a total lack of interest in discussing gender at all.
## Join the livestream conversation
WIRED is hosting a subscriber-only livestream on September 24 at noon Eastern time to discuss women in tech. Submit your questions in the comments below for the panel to answer.
## Meet the panel experts
Sandra Upson will host, with Lauren Goode covering Silicon Valley and AI, and EJ Dickson focusing on internet culture. Together they'll tackle the state of women in tech today.
## How to watch and access
The livestream will be available to WIRED subscribers on September 24. A replay will be posted afterward for those who can't attend live.
## Key takeaway

Silicon Valley's gender problem persists even as the industry actively rejects conversations about it.