<p>Popular online bulletin board Pinterest will pay former chief operating officer Francoise Brougher $20 million in a deal reached to settle a gender discrimination suit, a regulatory filing showed Monday.</p>.<p>The settlement includes Pinterest investing another $2.5 million to increase the presence of women and other under-represented groups in the tech industry, according to a joint statement.</p>.<p>"Pinterest recognizes the importance of fostering a workplace environment that is diverse, equitable and inclusive and will continue its actions to improve its culture," read a joint statement by Brougher and Pinterest.</p>.<p>Brougher filed a lawsuit earlier this year, accusing San Francisco-based Pinterest of paying her less than male colleagues, leaving her out of decision making, and subjecting her to a hostile work environment, then firing her after she spoke out against the treatment, according to media reports.</p>.<p>"Although 70 per cent of Pinterest's users are women, the company is steered by men with little input from female executives," Brougher said in a post on Medium when the suit was filed in August.</p>.<p>"Pinterest's female executives, even at the highest levels, are marginalized, excluded, and silenced."</p>.<p>More than 440 million people around the world use Pinterest each month, according to the online bulletin board's website.</p>.<p>"Women were the first to embrace us; they still make up more than 60 per cent of our platform globally - and we're proud of it," Pinterest said in a blog post at the end of July.</p>.<p>Pinterest, launched in 2010, is a virtual bulletin board platform, with users decorating their boards with pictures showcasing interests including food, fashion, travel and lifestyle.</p>.<p>It also enables users to link to online shopping and other services to find items they have "pinned."</p>.<p>"I will continue to advocate for workplace equity, including more women in the C-Suite," Brougher said in a tweet from her verified account on Twitter.</p>
<p>Popular online bulletin board Pinterest will pay former chief operating officer Francoise Brougher $20 million in a deal reached to settle a gender discrimination suit, a regulatory filing showed Monday.</p>.<p>The settlement includes Pinterest investing another $2.5 million to increase the presence of women and other under-represented groups in the tech industry, according to a joint statement.</p>.<p>"Pinterest recognizes the importance of fostering a workplace environment that is diverse, equitable and inclusive and will continue its actions to improve its culture," read a joint statement by Brougher and Pinterest.</p>.<p>Brougher filed a lawsuit earlier this year, accusing San Francisco-based Pinterest of paying her less than male colleagues, leaving her out of decision making, and subjecting her to a hostile work environment, then firing her after she spoke out against the treatment, according to media reports.</p>.<p>"Although 70 per cent of Pinterest's users are women, the company is steered by men with little input from female executives," Brougher said in a post on Medium when the suit was filed in August.</p>.<p>"Pinterest's female executives, even at the highest levels, are marginalized, excluded, and silenced."</p>.<p>More than 440 million people around the world use Pinterest each month, according to the online bulletin board's website.</p>.<p>"Women were the first to embrace us; they still make up more than 60 per cent of our platform globally - and we're proud of it," Pinterest said in a blog post at the end of July.</p>.<p>Pinterest, launched in 2010, is a virtual bulletin board platform, with users decorating their boards with pictures showcasing interests including food, fashion, travel and lifestyle.</p>.<p>It also enables users to link to online shopping and other services to find items they have "pinned."</p>.<p>"I will continue to advocate for workplace equity, including more women in the C-Suite," Brougher said in a tweet from her verified account on Twitter.</p>