Cracking the Code: Women, Tech, and the Future of Work

This is your Women in Business podcast.

Welcome to Women in Business. Today, I want to dive straight into the heart of how women are navigating the current economic landscape—specifically within the fast-evolving tech industry. Despite making up nearly half the overall workforce, women still account for less than a third of all tech roles globally. Current data from the Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report shows that as of 2023, just 27% of the U.S. tech workforce is female, and only about 14% of global tech leaders are women. Even though progress is happening, the pace is slow and the gender gap remains stark, especially in emerging areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and software development.

But what does this mean for women pursuing tech careers today? Let’s start by acknowledging that barriers are still real. Systemic obstacles such as persistent gender bias, pay disparities, and a lack of structured mentorship limit advancement. Finopotamus published that at companies like Google and Apple, only about a third of their workforces are women. Representation shrinks further in technical and leadership roles, with women holding just 22% of AI jobs and a mere 16% of CTO positions worldwide, according to research from Stanford and Accenture. The message is clear: the higher up you climb, the fewer women you will find.

However, this is far from the full story, and the energy for change is palpable. More companies are investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and women’s interest in tech careers is at an all-time high. According to the Women in Digital Annual Report from Australia, the industry isn’t just focused on recruitment anymore. The big conversation is around retention and advancement: the so-called “Missing Middle” where many talented women see their career momentum stall, often due to the intersection of caregiving responsibilities and workplace structures that don’t yet support real flexibility.

Let’s talk skills and innovation. In the last year alone, AI and digital skills are proving to be the ticket to upward mobility. The Skillsoft Women in Tech report found that women who are upskilling in AI not only keep pace but thrive, reporting increased productivity and job satisfaction. Yet, 60% of women surveyed weren’t yet using AI in their daily work. As AI tools transform the digital workplace, the urgency to address this gender gap is not just ethical—it’s economic. McKinsey & Company estimates that closing the gender gap in tech could boost global GDP by 12 trillion dollars by 2025.

Geography also matters. While traditional tech hubs like San Jose pay the highest salaries, emerging cities, especially across the southern U.S., are rapidly improving gender representation and wage growth for women in tech. In Columbia, South Carolina, for example, local tech communities are seeing breakthrough rates of gender diversity, offering encouraging roadmaps for women everywhere.

As we consider how women navigate these shifting terrains, let’s keep five discussion points in mind for today’s episode: First, the representation gap remains a reality, especially in leadership and emerging fields like AI. Second, upskilling in digital and AI is a game changer for women. Third, systemic barriers—pay gaps, bias, lack of mentors—still slow progress, but collective action through DEI is working. Fourth, the importance of mid-career support and flexible work cannot be overstated, especially for women balancing multiple roles. And finally, where you live and work truly shapes your opportunities—location is still power.

Thank you for tuning in to Women in Business. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. 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 to women in Business Today. I want to dive
straight into the heart of how women are navigating the
current economic landscape, specifically within the fast evolving tech industry.
Despite making up nearly half the overall workforce, women still
account for less than a third of all tech roles globally.
Current data from the nash Square Digital Leadership Report shows

(00:20):
that as of twenty twenty three, just twenty seven percent
of the US tech workforce is female, and only about
fourteen percent of global tech leaders are women. Even though
progress is happening, the pace is slow and the gender
gap remains stark, especially in emerging areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity,
and software development. But what does this mean for women

(00:41):
pursuing tech careers today. Let's start by acknowledging that barriers
are still real. Systemic obstacles such as persistent gender bias,
pay disparities, and a lack of structured mentorship limit advancement.
Phenopotamus published that at companies like Google and Apple, only
about a third of their workforces are women. Representation shrinks

(01:01):
further in technical and leadership roles, with women holding just
twenty two percent of AI jobs and a mere sixteen
percent of COTO positions worldwide. According to research from Stanford
and Accenture, the message is clear, the higher up you climb,
of fewer women you will find. However, this is far
from the full story, and the energy for change is palpable.

(01:23):
More companies are investing in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,
and women's interest in tech careers is at an all
time high. According to the Women in Digital Annual Report
from Australia, the industry isn't just focused on recruitment any more.
The big conversation is around retention and advancement, the so
called missing middle where many talented women see their career

(01:45):
momentum stall, often due to the intersection of caregiving responsibilities
and workplace structures that don't yet support real flexibility. Let's
talk skills and innovation. In the last year alone, AI
and digital skills are proof moving to be the ticket
to upward mobility. The Skullsoft Women in Tech report found
that women who are upskilling in AI not only keep

(02:07):
pace but thrive, reporting increased productivity and job satisfaction. Yet,
sixty percent of women surveyed weren't yet using AI in
their daily work. As AI tools transform the digital workplace.
The urgency to address this gender gap is not just ethical,
it's economic. McKinsey and Company estimates that closing the gender
gap in tech could boost global GDP by twelve trillion

(02:28):
dollars by twenty twenty five. Geography also matters. While traditional
tech hubs like San Jose paid to highest salaries, emerging cities,
especially across the Southern US, are rapidly improving gender representation
and wage growth for women in tech. In Columbia, South Carolina,
for example, local tech communities are seeing breakthrough rates of
gender diversity, offering encouraging road maps for women everywhere. As

(02:51):
we consider how women navigate these shifting terrains, let's keep
five discussion points in mind for today's episode. First, the
representation gap remains a reality, especially in leadership and emerging
fields like AI. Second, upskilling in digital and AI is
a game changer for women. Third, systemic barriers, pay gaps, bias,

(03:12):
lack of mentors still slow progress, but collective action through
DEI is working for earth. The importance of mid career
support and flexible work cannot be overstated, especially for women
balancing multiple roles. And Finally, where you live and work
truly shapes your opportunities. Location is still power. Thank you
for tuning in to women in business. Make sure to

(03:34):
subscribe so you never miss an episode. This has been
a quiet please production. For more, check out Quiet Please
dot ai