Twitter promises to hire, promote more women while fighting gender discrimination suit

Twitter is setting modest goals to diversify its workforce while it fights a proposed class-action lawsuit that says the online messaging service discriminates against its female employees.

The hiring targets were released Friday along with data showing that Twitter primarily employs white and Asian men in high-paying technology jobs, just like most of its industry peers.

Twitter is aiming to fill 16 percent of its technology jobs with a woman next year, up from 13 percent currently. The San Francisco company wants women to make up 25 percent of its leadership roles from 22 percent now.

Former Twitter engineer Tina Huang filed a lawsuit in March attacking the company's treatment of women. The complaint says Twitter has a history of bypassing qualified women for promotions.