It may come as no surprise that the tech industry is also male-dominated. Only around 19% of tech jobs are filled by females, despite 49% of the UK workforce being female.
This has been and continues to be a long-standing issue, one that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency; however, it can not be addressed with quick fixes. Time needs to be taken, questions must be asked, and comprehensive research needs to be conducted on the best possible ways to enable more females to enter the tech industry and hold both non-leadership and leadership roles.
A recent PWC UK research project found that only 5% of leadership roles in the tech industry are held by women; this, along with the above, shows that there is still a significant gender pay gap in the tech industry.
What are the typical challenges women face in the tech industry?
One of the main challenges is indeed the gender pay gap, with women in the industry often paid less for conducting the same work that their male counterparts do.
The COVID pandemic also hit women harder than men; in 2020, hundreds of thousands of women worldwide left their jobs; this is around 4x more than men.
On the brighter side, the pandemic opened up new perspectives for women. According to Women in Tech Research, companies are now not only filling entry-level roles with female applicants but also hiring women for more leadership roles too.
Why do tech companies need women?
A gender-diverse workforce helps bring new perspectives, experiences, and ideas to the table. When a tech company lacks gender diversity, it misses out on the potential for innovation and creativity; it also ends up with a limited talent pool, which limits its ability to compete in a rapidly changing tech landscape.
What support is there for women in or entering the tech industry?
Over the years, the tech industry has made significant improvements in its ways to support women in tech; below is just a small list of some of the incentives that big and small tech companies use to help women in tech:
- Diversity and inclusion training: Training on unconscious bias, inclusive language, and workplace culture can help create a more inclusive environment for all involved.
- Educational opportunities are key to attracting more women into the tech industry. All students, regardless of gender, should have the same opportunities to progress.
- Mentoring programmes help address gender bias and discrimination in the workplace by providing women with strategies to navigate these issues and advocate for themselves.
The above programmes and many more can be implemented in businesses of any size to help your current team’s potential grow and attract new talent, including women.
As it stands, the tech industry (like many others) is not well represented by women; changes are being made rapidly. Just as technology itself is constantly evolving, the tech industry is constantly seeking new ways of doing things. This provides exciting opportunities for individuals and companies who want to make a difference.
Are you looking to enter the tech industry? Are you looking to start training to enter the tech industry?
Take the leap, and enter the world of technology.
The more women who enter the tech industry, the more diverse and inclusive it becomes, resulting in a broader range of ideas and perspectives. Tech is expanding all the time, too, especially in the shipping and logistics sector, which is growing rapidly. For example, scheduling and routing software is now used to optimise routes, and vehicles are being released with more advanced technology than ever. These advancements provide solid opportunities for women, so be sure to look into them.
The more women enter the tech industry, the faster change occurs. You can read more about women’s incredible STEM achievements here.
Remember that you can search for all the flexible tech jobs currently advertised on the Investing in Women job board here.