I didn't read the whole article on my first read, and missed the most important parts, which are "What can I do?". So I'm going to throw HN etiquette to the wind, and just quote it verbatim.
> What needs to change is three-fold.
>
> The first thing needed is pretty simple: In all organizations, demand that there
> exists a code of conduct and clear methodto report misconduct. Imagine right
> now that you have just witnessed something inappropriate in your workplace, at
> a conference or in a community. Do you have a place you could report it? Do you
> trust that it would be handled properly, or would they just try to avoid
> liability? Do you believe you would personally suffer for making such a report?
> If you’re not comfortable with any of those answers, you have work to do.
> Reconsider what systems have been created, and fight for ones that treat this
> like a whistleblowing issue, not something to be “kept under control.”
>
> Second, while there will always be truly malicious people, most people are just
> don’t realize the harm of their action. There needs to be correction without
> punishment for people who are not malicious. With such a mechanism in place,
> people who see sexism in action can help fix it. At the same time, it allows
> those who are doing things wrong to learn in a safe environment. For more about
> this approach, check out some of the great articles about call-in culture. The
> goal is simple here: help your well-intentioned friends figure out they are
> hurting people without making it seem like a threat or shaming. It’s easiest for
> you if you aren’t the one being wronged. This step is important because
> whistleblowers need allies, and we need people to not be afraid of announcing
> they are allies. This means two things: One, that we be welcoming and patient
> with those striving to be better, and two, that our allies (and those of us
> trying to lead the charge) be committed to self-improvement whenever the
> opportunity presents.
>
> Third, and most important, is making a serious personal commitment to solving
> this. You’re tired of hearing about this “women in tech” stuff, and we’re tired
> of living it, but there are some big issues here, and we’re not going to solve
> them by pretending they don’t exist because we’re bored or afraid of them. We
> need serious discussions, and we have to have educated opinions about what’s
> wrong and how to fix it. We need to mull these ideas around until we come to
> some combination of hard data and cultural consensus before we can get
> meaningful change.
>
> Making a personal commitment means forming an opinion on more than just the
> broad concepts. It also requires learning about specific instances of
> harassment. Spend enough time reading material from both sides to develop a
> well-informed opinion, or be honest about not knowing enough. Don’t defend an
> opinion that isn’t well thought through. Then, use that opinion to make sure
> whistleblowing is taken seriously. When we fail to engage whistleblowing in our
> own lives or in institutions we deal with, we’re hanging the whistleblowers out
> to dry. At best, we allow them to be marked as “liabilities”; at worst, we leave
> them to suffer from enemies we don’t care to protect them against.
>
> For clarity, I’m going to now state my three specific requests:
>
> 1. Make sure the systems to handle malicious abuses of power against women have
> teeth, and that they seek to let the disenfranchised blow the whistle, rather
> than simply “keeping stuff under control.”
>
> 2. Help your well-intentioned peers who are still making mistakes do better
> without threatening them or humiliating them.
>
> 3. Make a public commitment to taking potential whistleblowers seriously. Commit
> to educating yourself, to having an opinion, and, if you believe the
> whistleblower’s claims might have merit, to helping. Live up to that commitment.
>
