The tech industry is a beacon of innovation, growth, and progress.
Despite the tech industry’s unprecedented economic growth and ability to drive societal change, its reputation is tainted by gender disparity issues — even today, in 2024.
Women, transgender, and non-binary people in tech are severely underrepresented in the industry, particularly in leadership roles. This disparity prevents businesses from evolving and reaching their full potential.
The tech industry’s growth is not going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s only advancing, so it must start making strides to address the gender disparity to create inclusive work environments.
The Current State of Gender Disparity in Tech
Barriers to Entry and Advancement for Women
Impact of Gender Disparity on the Tech Industry
Strategies for Addressing Gender Disparities
- Early Education and STEM Programs
- Inclusive Workplace Cultures
- Mentorship and Sponsorship Opportunities
- Work-Life Balance Support
Success Stories and Positive Trends
The Current State of Gender Disparity in Tech
According to data from the BLS National Employment Matrix, nearly five million people work in computer occupations or tech roles. In 2023, women held just 26.7% of tech-related jobs and made up only 14% of tech leaders.
The WomenTech Network, one of the largest communities for women in tech around the world, crunched the numbers on the representation in the field, and there are even more glaring statistics highlighting the gender disparity in the industry.
- 66% of women in tech lack a defined career advancement route in the workplace.
- Only 31% of GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft) employees are women on average.
- Only 25% of C-suite executives are women, and only 5% are women of color.
- Women in tech make nearly $15,000 less every year than their male counterparts, and this wage gap is even more significant for Black and Latina women.
These numbers are unacceptable. While there has been some progress over the years, women, transgender, and non-binary people are still vastly underrepresented in the tech industry, and this lack of representation is even more profound for women of color.
Various advocacy groups and initiatives are working to increase the representation of women in tech. Still, at the current pace of change, the WomenTech network estimates it will take 131 years to close the economic gender gap. The group has a countdown on its website, counting down to the second.
Historical Context
Because the tech industry is so male-dominated, it can be easy to forget or overlook the contributions women in tech have made over the years. Women have been instrumental in numerous technological advancements, even if men often overtake their efforts.
Women in tech — including scientists, mathematicians, astronomers, computer scientists, and data analysts — have been pioneering the industry since the 18th century. And while history books — and even the general public may overlook them — many of the pioneers of early computer science and programming were women, whose discoveries and legacies led to technological advancements we still use today, such as:
- Dorothy Vaughan was an expert programmer at NASA and the first Black supervisor for the agency.
- Ada Lovelace is credited as the world’s first computer programmer after she drafted plans for how a machine—considered the first general computer—could perform computations.
- Admiral Grace Hopper was a U.S. Navy admiral and computer scientist who was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer, which was used during World War II. Hopper also invented the compiler, a program that translates the English language into one that computers can understand, which was a critical step toward creating modern computer programming languages.
While the tech industry was evolving, so was society. Gender roles and societal norms began to shift, and we saw a dramatic decline in women in tech in the post-World War II era. This trend continued for decades — and is still present today despite efforts to eliminate it, it persists.
Barriers to Entry and Advancement for Women
From the moment they start attending school, little girls are told they can be anything they want to be. There’s no such thing as a “boy job” or “girl job.” We encourage them to dream big and work hard, and they’ll be able to achieve all their goals and wildest dreams.
So, why do transgender, non-binary people, and women in tech make up such a small percentage of the industry’s workforce? Women and other people who hold historically oppressed gender identities face various barriers to entering and advancing within the tech industry. Despite us telling young girls they can be anything they want when they grow up, educational disparities facing women in tech begin at a young age. Women are less likely to be encouraged or supported in pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields compared to their male counterparts, according to research from The American Association of University Women.
For those women and gender diverse people who do enter the tech industry, the obstacles don’t stop there. Biases and the metaphorical “glass ceiling” have historically prevented women in tech from receiving promotions and excelling in their careers.
Because of this, there’s also an issue with a lack of mentorship opportunities and role models for women in tech, which prevents other women and people with historically oppressed gender identities from entering the industry or feeling empowered enough to do so. According to data from the Anita Borg Institute, women in tech with mentors were 77% more likely to still work in the industry after three years than women without mentors.
Impact of Gender Disparity on the Tech Industry
The gender disparity facing women in tech and other people who hold historically oppressed gender identities has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond those struggling to make their way in a male-dominated field.
Businesses and industries that lack diversity are less innovative and creative. Diverse teams bring myriad backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives to the table that blend to create effective, outside-the-box solutions. This kind of creativity and innovation can’t be artificially manufactured. You can only achieve it organically by working on teams and for companies championing diversity.
Beyond innovation, various studies have found that businesses with greater gender diversity perform better financially. Your company’s lack of diversity could directly impact its profitability.
Because the number of women in tech is much smaller than men, women interested in STEM often don’t feel empowered or supported to enter the industry because they don’t have an example to look up to along their journey. Addressing the gender disparity and increasing the number of women, transgender, and non-binary people in tech is necessary for promoting equality and inclusion, as these women can then serve as mentors to others.
Strategies for Addressing Gender Disparities
The gender disparity facing women, transgender, and non-binary people in tech seems grim, especially when you look at that 131-year countdown to change on the WomenTech Network’s website. However, it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.
There are several ways to address the lack of diversity in tech, but it requires effort, dedication, and a multi-faceted approach. It’s something that takes time to be solved. Still, if we begin implementing these strategies now, we’ll be able to empower the next generation of tech workers to feel confident and supported in the industry.
- Early Education and STEM Programs
- Inclusive Workplace Cultures
- Mentorship and Sponsorship Opportunities
- Work-Life Balance Support
1. Early Education and STEM Programs
The earlier we can encourage girls to pursue STEM education, the better. As they get older, these girls will have to endure gender stereotypes and societal norms that can make them feel like they’re not capable of working in the tech industry. That’s why early education and programming through groups like Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code are necessary to provide young girls with the skills and confidence needed to be women in tech.
2. Inclusive Workplace Cultures
Tech businesses are vital in creating inclusive workplace cultures that make women feel valued and supported. This could include conducting unconscious bias training, establishing systems recognizing achievements, and taking advantage of opportunities to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion at work. Creating an inclusive workplace culture that supports women, transgender, and non-binary people in tech is a team effort, so engaging everyone, from the employees carrying out daily operations to the C-level management, is essential.
3. Mentorship and Sponsorship Opportunities
Having a role model you can look up to is beneficial in any industry, especially for women in tech. Mentorship and sponsorship opportunities can significantly impact women’s career trajectories in the tech industry. Companies must establish programs that connect people who hold historically oppressed gender identities in tech with mentors in the industry who can provide guidance, support, and advocacy to help them further their careers.
4. Work-Life Balance Support
Working women are often disproportionately impacted by obligations, like caring for children and family members, making it challenging to balance a career. Flexible work schedules, remote work options, and generous parental leave policies help women achieve a better work-life balance that levels the playing field between men and women in tech.
Success Stories and Positive Trends
Despite the challenges and obstacles women and other historically oppressed gender identities in tech face, several positive trends and success stories worth highlighting show advancements in closing the gender gap and supporting women in tech. Check out these positive trends:
- As education opportunities increase, women are beginning to pursue STEM more. 60% of Gen Z women started coding between ages 16 and 21.
- Over the past several years, communities such as Girls Who Code, Women in Technology International, and the Society of Women Engineers have emerged to support women in tech.
- Supporting women in tech is a domino effect. Women who become leaders in the tech industry are twice as likely as men to devote resources to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This directly contributes to forming more mentorship programs that help other women in tech navigate their careers.
Several companies have made significant strides in closing the gender gap in the tech industry and others. From big and small businesses to those that operate on a global scale, these are companies like Bumble, Kimberly-Clark, and Juniper Networks that are dedicated to hiring more women and leading the way in gender diversity.
Conclusion
The fight for gender equality is ongoing. While progress has been made in various areas, and groups have emerged to advocate for much-needed change, work still needs to be done.
Achieving gender equality for women, transgender, and non-binary people in tech isn’t solely the responsibility of the hiring teams. It requires a concerted effort from individuals, businesses, and policymakers.
Individuals need to continue advocating for gender diversity and inclusive workplaces. While it’s important for women who have achieved leadership roles to bring others with them, it’s critically important that men act as allies. There’s a great clip of tennis player Andy Murray correcting the casually sexist remarks of a journalist who claimed Andy was the “first U.S. player to reach a major semi-final since 2009.” Murray quickly and definitively corrected him by specifying “male player.”
Similar incidents happen every day in the workplace. So much so that we simply overlook or ignore slights and erasure of women’s accomplishments when they occur.
Businesses need to implement policies and DEI efforts that promote equitable and inclusive work environments and ensure they thoughtfully provide equal opportunities for career advancement for all gender identities.
Policymakers must listen to the public and strongly support equitable legislation, such as pay equity laws and policies addressing issues like parental leave, paid sick leave, and universal childcare policies to promote working parents.
Addressing the gender disparities women, transgender, and non-binary people face in tech isn’t just about leveling the playing field and making things fair. Gender equality in the tech industry is imperative to innovation and economic growth.
Championing gender diversity and supporting women and other oppressed gender identities in tech brings unique perspectives to tech-adjacent fields such as finance, healthcare, and political consulting.
It’s time we all started thinking of ways to support gender diversity in tech so that the industry can better reflect the unique world it serves.
