There is a serious underrepresentation issue for women in the tech industry, and despite significant attempts over the past decade to address this for the next generation at an educational level we still find ourselves in a situation where:
- The tech industry struggles to attract and retain female talent, with women making up less than 30% of the technical workforce at top companies like Google and Facebook.
- This gender disparity begins early, with girls often losing interest in computing by junior school, and continuing into university computer science programmes, where women are vastly outnumbered by men.
- Cultural stereotypes and media representations across TV, movies, and news stories reinforce the message that computer scientists and engineers are predominantly male.
- These portrayals influence girls’ aspirations and self-image from an early age.
- Teacher and parental attitudes also factor in, as research indicates adults are less likely to encourage girls to pursue computers and technology, even when they exhibit interest and skills.
- The “brogrammer” stereotype, depicting male coders as anti-social and hyper-competitive, pervades many tech workplaces.
- Women working in tech often report difficulties being taken seriously by male colleagues and superiors in the workplace, as well as fewer opportunities for mentorship and sponsorship compared to their male teammates.
There is clearly a need for us to break down stereotypes and create a more inclusive industry that welcomes all individuals with different backgrounds and interests. The articles linked below explore this further, but what more can we all do as individuals, and leaders, to address this?
