Women In Tech Stats: How The Industry Can Provide Equal Opportunities
The technology industry is synonymous with innovation, constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Yet, one area where it lags significantly is gender diversity. Women in tech still face numerous challenges and barriers, making it difficult to showcase their power and thrive.
Skillsoft, an online training platform, recently released a Women in Tech Report. It captured women’s experiences across various career stages, geographies and industries to uncover the disparities women face in tech roles and offer data, insight, and guidance to help make change a reality.
Despite progress, the gender gap in the tech industry persists. Recent statistics show that women comprise only about 25% of the tech workforce. This disparity is even more pronounced in leadership positions, where women hold only 11% of executive roles. These numbers highlight the uphill battle women continue to face in an industry dominated by men. Gender biases, lack of mentorship and limited access to professional development opportunities are just a few of the main challenges. These can hinder career growth and contribute to the high attrition rates among women in tech.
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Economic Implications
The gender gap in tech isn’t just a women’s issue; it has far-reaching economic and societal implications. Diverse teams are proven to be more innovative and productive. A lack of diversity can stifle creativity and limit a company’s ability to solve complex problems. Economically, closing the gender gap could add an estimated $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025, according to McKinsey & Company.
Actionable Steps For Change
Closing the gender gap in tech requires a multi-faceted approach. Companies need to implement robust diversity and inclusion policies, offer mentorship programs, and provide equal opportunities for professional development. Additionally, promoting flexible work arrangements can help retain female talent, especially those balancing work and family responsibilities.
- Establish mentorship and sponsorship programs specifically designed to support women and other underrepresented groups.
- Offer unbiased training and development opportunities—Regular workshops, courses and certifications accessible to all employees without discrimination.
- Implement unbiased performance reviews and promotion processes—Ensure assessments are based solely on merit and contributions.
- Create clear career progression paths—Allow all employees to understand potential growth within the organization.
- Outline steps needed to achieve career advancement.
- Actively encourage employees to pursue leadership and development programs.
This year, 77% of the women surveyed reported feeling somewhat satisfied or extremely satisfied at work. Although that’s a 2% decrease from last year, it’s still encouraging, especially as the tech sector is profoundly transforming. The top five factors influencing job satisfaction in the tech industry:
- 74% Job security
- 68% Employee benefits
- 66% Work-life balance
- 58% Managerial support
- 54% Diversity, equity, and inclusion
“What I’ve seen more is that women move into tech often because they get involved in technical-related projects,” comments Orla Daly, CIO at Skillsoft. “So there is a business person that’s assigned to a technical project, or a transformation project, often, which obviously, is tech and business coming together. And through that experience, they see the impact that they can make, and they also get more exposure than maybe they had in the past. As a result of that, they then move on to tech or take on broader leadership roles. I’ve seen that happen quite a bit. But it’s been more because of the experience they’ve gained and the impact that they can see that they can make. And the fact is that we do have continued skill gaps within tech, and therefore, there is a broader set of opportunities that they can take advantage of.”
