Smashing Tech's Glass Ceiling: Women Reboot the Code

This is your Women in Business podcast.

Welcome back to Women in Business, where we amplify stories and strategies that empower women to drive change and claim their place in the global economy. Today, we’re diving right into what it means to be a woman navigating the current economic landscape in tech—a space still dominated by men but ripe for transformation by trailblazers like you.

Let’s get real about the numbers. According to the latest data from CompTIA and reports from AIPRM, women make up just over a quarter of the US tech workforce. Globally, it’s slightly less, hovering around 23 to 28 percent depending on which region you look at. Dig deeper into leadership and it’s even more stark: Nash Squared’s 2023 report found women comprise only 14 percent of global tech leadership roles. In fact, just 17 percent of tech companies have a woman serving as CEO, and if you’re angling for chief technology officer, the odds go down to 8 percent. It’s a sharp reminder that the glass ceiling isn’t just folklore—it’s reinforced by real numbers on company org charts.

But the payoff for pushing through is undeniable. The median annual wage for US tech workers stands at $104,556—more than double the average across sectors. And McKinsey estimates that closing the gender gap in tech could add a staggering 12 trillion dollars to the global GDP by 2025. This is not just about fairness—this is about smart economics and opportunity.

So, what’s holding women back? First, the attrition rate is painfully high. Studies from Girls Who Code and Women in Tech Network reveal that half of women in tech leave the industry by age 35. The reasons go beyond pay gaps—though they’re real, with companies still offering men higher salaries in 62 percent of tech jobs. Women also cite dissatisfaction, burnout, lack of career progression, and the burden of unpaid caregiving as major factors. We’re seeing career momentum stall for women in mid-career, often because workplace structures weren’t built with our lives in mind.

Yet there’s powerful opportunity in this moment—especially through AI and emerging tech. Skillsoft’s Women in Tech report for 2024 highlights that learning about AI and upskilling in this area is becoming crucial for closing the gender gap. Three-quarters of companies plan to increase their use of AI by 2028, and early adopters report higher productivity and more streamlined work. The future hinges on who gets access to these skills—and who holds the keys to innovation.

Today’s discussion comes down to five big pillars: understanding the persistent gender gap in tech, navigating the pay and leadership disparities, facing and overcoming burnout and attrition, embracing the rise of AI and new tech as opportunities, and the essential need for better workplace support to help more women rise. Each point has its own challenges—but also its unique levers for change.

Thank you for tuning in to Women in Business as we champion those breaking boundaries and spark the conversations that matter. Don’t forget to subscribe for more insight, inspiration, and practical power moves.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Women in Business, where we amplify stories
and strategies that empower women to drive change and claim
their place in the global economy. Today, we're diving right
into what it means to be a woman navigating the
current economic landscape in tech, a space still dominated by men,
but write for transformation by trailblazers like you. Let's get
real about the numbers. According to the latest data from

(00:22):
CompTIA and reports from AIPRM, women make up just over
a quarter of the US tech workforce. Globally, it's slightly less,
hovering around twenty three to twenty eight percent, depending on
which region you look at. Dig deeper into leadership, and
it's even more stark. Nash Squared's twenty twenty three report
found women comprise only fourteen percent of global tech leadership roles.

(00:44):
In fact, just seventeen percent of tech companies have a
woman serving as CEO, and if you're angling for chief
technology officer, the odds go down to eight percent. It's
a sharp reminder that the glass ceiling isn't just folklore.
It's reinforced by real numbers on company charts. But the
payoff for pushing through is undeniable. The median annual wage

(01:05):
for US tech workers stands up one hundred and four thousand,
five hundred and fifty six dollars, more than double the
average across sectors, and McKinsey estimates that closing the gender
gap in tech could add a staggering twelve trillion dollars
to the global GDP by twenty twenty five. This is
not just about fairness, This is about smart economics and opportunity.

(01:27):
So what's holding women back? First, the attrition rate is
painfully high, and it's said that the best economic economic
style goes on the world. Studies from Girls Who Code
and Women in Tech Network reveal that half of women
in tech leave the industry by age thirty five. The
reasons go beyond pay gaps, though they're real, with companies

(01:49):
still offering men higher salaries in sixty two percent of
tech jobs. Women also cite dissatisfaction, burnout, lack of career progression,
and the burden of unpaid care giving as major factors.
Were seeing creer momentum stall for women in mid career,
often because workplace structures weren't built with our lives in mind.
Yet there's powerful opportunity in this moment, especially through AI

(02:13):
and emerging tech. Skillsoft's Women in Tech Report for twenty
twenty four highlights that learning about AI and upskilling in
this area is becoming crucial for closing the gender gap.
Three quarters of companies plan to increase their use of
AI by twenty twenty eight. An early adopters report higher
productivity and more streamlined work. The future hinges on who

(02:35):
gets access to these skills and who holds the keys
to innovation. Today's discussion comes down to five big pillars.
Understanding the persistent gender gap in tech, Navigating the pay
and leadership disparities, facing and overcoming burnout and attrition, Embracing
the rise of AI and new tech as opportunities, and

(02:55):
the essential need for better workplace support to help more
women rise. Each point has its own challenges, but also
its unique levers for change. Thank you for tuning in
to women in business as we champion those breaking boundaries
and spark the conversations that matter. Don't forget to subscribe
for more insight, inspiration and practical power moves. This has

(03:16):
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
Please dot ai