Breaking the Code: Women Pioneering Tech's New Frontier

This is your Women in Business podcast.

Welcome back to Women in Business, where we champion progress, spotlight real-world stories, and inspire every woman to claim her space at the top. Today, we dive into the heart of the tech industry—a sector fueling global change, yet where the gender gap is still hard to ignore. Around 29 percent of jobs in the digital sector are held by women, and only about 14 percent of global tech leaders are women. So, what does it really take to break through, and how are women navigating today’s economic terrain, especially when tech seems to be both a land of opportunity and obstacles?

Let’s talk about progress. There’s no denying that the numbers are inching up. In the US, for example, women now make up roughly 35 percent of the tech workforce—a dramatic rise from the mere nine percent at the start of the millennium. But leadership gaps remain; women hold fewer than 20 percent of executive-level tech roles worldwide. In powerhouse companies—think Apple, Google, Microsoft—women’s representation still hovers around a third or less. Progress is happening, but slowly, and parity is still decades away according to leaders interviewed by the Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report.

Pay and promotion are another battleground. The gender pay gap in tech, though narrower than in other fields, persists. According to recent findings by McKinsey & Company, closing that gap has staggering potential: it could add up to $12 trillion to global GDP by 2025. But beyond the numbers, it’s the daily reality for women trying to climb the ranks: less mentorship, slower career progression, and higher rates of burnout and attrition, especially for women over 35.

The current economic landscape and post-pandemic industry shake-ups have added both challenges and silver linings. Layoffs across the tech sector have disproportionately affected women, yet the rise of remote work has given many women greater flexibility to pursue leadership without sacrificing personal priorities. Cities beyond traditional tech hubs—like Little Rock, Arkansas, and Columbia, South Carolina—are now offering faster wage growth and improved gender representation, rewriting the playbook for where tech success can happen.

The rise of artificial intelligence is another powerful driver. According to Skillsoft’s Women in Tech Report, three-fifths of respondents said they weren’t yet using AI at work. But among those who were, the results were transformative—higher productivity and more streamlined workflows. As 75 percent of companies plan to increase AI adoption by 2028, women who master these emerging technologies are positioning themselves to lead, not just participate, in the next era.

Finally, culture shifts and support networks are rewriting the story for women in business. The tech industry is seeing a surge in women-led startups, and collaborative projects like the Women in Digital Report in Australia highlight the need to not just attract, but retain and develop women through mid-career and into executive seats. Support networks and targeted policies can make the difference between a fleeting trend and lasting change.

So as we move forward, let’s keep the momentum. The economic future of tech hinges not just on innovation, but on diversity and inclusion. To all of you listening—whether you’re redefining your career, championing others, or just starting out—claim your seat, mentor widely, and use your voice. Your presence in tech isn’t just transformative for your career; it’s vital for our global economy.

Thank you for tuning in to Women in Business. Subscribe for more stories, data, and inspiration to keep you advancing. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Women in Business, where we champion progress,
spotlight real world stories, and inspire every woman to claim
her space at the top. Today we dive into the
heart of the tech industry, a sector fueling global change,
yet where the gender gap is still hard to ignore.
Around twenty nine percent of jobs in the digital sector
are held by women, and only about fourteen percent of

(00:22):
global tech leaders are women. So what does it really
take to break through and how are women navigating today's
economic train, especially when tech seems to be both a
land of opportunity and obstacles. Let's talk about progress. There's
no denying that the numbers are inching up. In the US,
for example, women now make up roughly thirty five percent
of the tech workforce, a dramatic rise from the mere

(00:44):
nine percent at the start of the millennium, but leadership
gaps remain. Women hold fewer than twenty percent of executive
level tech roles worldwide. In powerhouse companies think Apple, Google, Microsoft,
women's representation still hovers around a third or less. Progress
is happy, but slowly, and parity is still decades away.
According to leaders interviewed by the Nash Square Digital Leadership Report,

(01:07):
Pay and promotion are another battleground. The gender pay gap
in tech, though narrower than in other fields, persists. According
to recent findings by Mackenzie and Company, closing that gap
has staggering potential. It could add up to twelve dollars
trillion dollars to global GDP by twenty twenty five. But
beyond the numbers, it's the daily reality for women trying
to climb the ranks, less mentorship, slower career progression, and

(01:30):
higher rates of burnout and attrition, especially for win in
over thirty five. The current economic landscape and post pandemic
industry shakeups have added both challenges and silver linings. Layoffs
across the tech sector have disproportionately affected women, Yet the
rise of remote work has given many women greater flexibility
to pursue leadership without sacrificing personal priorities. Cities beyond traditional

(01:54):
tech hubs, like Little Rock, Arkansas and Columbia, South Carolina,
are now offering faster wage growth in improve gender representation,
rewriting the playbook for where tech success can happen. The
rise of artificial intelligence is another powerful driver. According to
Skillsoft's Women and Tech Report, three fifths of respondents said
they weren't yet using AI at work, but among those

(02:15):
who were, the results were transformative, higher productivity and more
streamlined workflows. As seventy five percent of companies plan to
increase AI adoption by twenty twenty eight, women who master
these emerging technologies are positioning themselves to lead, not just participate,
in a next era. Finally, culture shifts and support networks
are rewriting the story for women in business. The tech

(02:38):
industry is seen as surge in women led startups and
collaborative projects like the Women in Digital Report in Australia
highlight the need to not just attract, but retain and
develop women through mid career and into executive seats. Support
networks and targeted policies can make the difference between a
fleeting trend and lasting change. So as we move forward,
let's keep the momentum. The economic future of tet hinges

(03:00):
not just on innovation, but on diversity and inclusion. To
all of you listening, whether you're redefining your career, championing others,
or just starting out, claim your seat, mentor widely and
use your voice. Your presence in tech isn't just transformative
for your career it's vital for a global economy. Thank

(03:21):
you for tuning in to women in business. Subscribe for
more stories, data and inspiration to keep you advancing. This
has been a quiet please production For more check out
quiet please dot ai