People are criticizing a major women-in-tech event, saying its jobs fair was dominated by pushy men

• People are criticizing a women's tech conference after it was flooded by men.
• Women reported being shoved out the way by men submitting resumes to employers at the Grace Hopper conference.
• The event bills itself as a celebration of woman and non-binary people in computer science

A tech conference celebrating women and non-binary people in computer science sparked a backlash after people said it was dominated by men.

The complaints were about the The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing which took place in Orlando from September 26 to 29.

On TikTok, attendees said men shoved women out of the way and cut lines to submit resumes to the big tech companies that attended the job fair.

The conference organizer, AnitaB, acknolwedged that the event fell short and said it was investigating the complaints.

One video, posted by a coder named Gabby, showed groups of dozens of men talking with recruiters and lining up for booths.

In the caption, Gabby said she had waited in line to speak with a recruiter when a man skipped to the front and "cut off" her conversation.

A product designer named Lily Li shared Gabby's video and added some thoughts of her own in a TikTok which amassed over 1.5 million views.

She said the conference was set up to tackle the lack of female representation in technology "despite women being the first coders."

The event markets itself on its website as the "world's largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists," and tickets set back attendees around $1,300.

It's named after Grace Hopper, a pioneering mathematician whose work helped the US Navy develop its computing in World War II.

"Prepare to be immersed in a vibrant atmosphere of growth at GHC 23, the world's largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists," the conference site said.

"Connect with like-minded individuals, gain insights from luminaries and esteemed technology leaders, forge lasting connections, and supercharge your skillset."

The reality was a much different picture, according to women who attended and later complained about the conference online.

Li shared a LinkedIn comment left by an attendee towards AnitaB, the company that runs the conference.

She said she suspected that cisgender men may have "finessed" the system by pretending to be non-binary, or selecting "prefer not to answer" on their entry forms, though there is no solid evidence for the claim.

"On top of that these men are acting like zoo animals, sprinting to the booths, and physically hurting the attendees," she alleged.

Insider found many more public comments on LinkedIn left by female and non-binary attendees where they expressed their disappointment over the experience, describing a place "over-capacitated by rude, disrespectful, and female-attacking men."

Many said they saw no men attending the panels hosted by women and non-binary people discussing under-representation and inclusivity in tech. They just appeared at the job fair, making it difficult for women and non-binary people to even get in, the comments said.

"Instead of feeling inspired and energized, I feel drained and overwhelmed," one woman named Nandini Agarwal wrote, saying she waited in line for hours to get in.

"I've missed half the day! I want a full refund, worst experience ever!!!"

Others said they saw disproportionate amounts of men being offered interviews and being let in to after-parties. Some said they had been bothered and harassed and even hit on. One woman said a man handed her his resume when she wasn't even working there. Another said she saw worrying behavior, including a man taking a photo of "the female recruiter's lower body."

"Chaos was the word of the day," wrote a woman named Preeti Ladwa. "Many men, attending as non-allies, overstepped boundaries. We witnessed inappropriate comments, breaches of personal space, and a sheer lack of decorum."

Another woman named Nivrithi Garimella said left one line "due to unchecked men displaying aggressive behavior, ganging up to trample women completely."

"I feared for my health and safety and fled the scene first thing in the morning," she wrote.

The LinkedIn page for AnitaB replied to many comments, saying itwas looking into the reports.

Bo Young Lee, AnitaB's advisory president, posted a video on LinkedIn on Friday in response to the criticism. She said the event had always felt like "a safe and loving and embracing" place in the past.

"This year, I must admit, I didn't feel this way," she said. "And I know that many of you felt the same. Many of you are feeling unsafe, physically, and psychologically, and you're feeling unheard."

She said that she and AnitaB were taking the feedback "so personally."

"We tried to create a safe space, and this week we saw the outside world creep in," she said. "This makes me angry, and it makes me sad, but mostly it makes me want to fight."

She said the company did its best but "it was not enough."

"I want to thank you all for speaking up, for listening, and I really hope to see you tomorrow," she said.

Insider has reached out to AnitaB for further comment.