Women in tech remain underpaid, underrepresented and underfunded, while they still experience sexism at the workplace.
These are among the key takeaways from the Web Summit global Women in Tech report, which was published this week.
The Web Summit is an annual technology conference held in Lisbon, Portugal.
Nearly a third (29.6%) of 1 000-plus surveyed women cited funding as a major hurdle with regards to starting a business, reflecting global trends of women-led start-ups struggling to secure venture capital, says the report.
More than half of the respondents noted a lack of women in leadership roles, with nearly 51% feeling unfairly compensated compared to men.
According to the report, balancing a career and family life is an increasing challenge, with sexism in the workplace still a reality for a majority. Despite this, it notes, close to 76% of respondents feel empowered to lead.
A substantial 50.8% of women reported experiencing sexism in the workplace, a figure that has shown little change in recent years.
Nearly half (49.1%) of women in the tech sector feel pressured to choose between family and career, marking a 7% increase from last year.
More than 75% of respondents acknowledged feeling the need to work harder than their male counterparts, a trend that has remained steady over time, the report reveals.
The respondents identified unconscious gender bias, balancing career and personal life, the scarcity of female role models, imposter syndrome, lack of support networks and difficulties in funding as their most significant challenges.
In spite of challenges, close to 76% of the respondents would feel empowered to pursue and/or hold a leadership position.
More than 80% stated there is a woman in senior management in their company, with 68.2% reporting that a woman holds a C-level position.
There’s optimism around AI’s potential to drive positive change, says the report. More than 68% of the respondents have a positive outlook on the impact of AI and automation on gender equity.
“It’s frustrating that issues like sexism, unfair pay, imposter syndrome and work-life balance keep appearing – it often feels like we’re stuck in the same conversations. Yet, I can’t help but feel hopeful. More women are stepping up, leading and bringing their start-ups to events like Web Summit,” says Carolyn Quinlan, VP of community at Web Summit.
Approximately 56% of women feel the industry isn’t doing enough to tackle gender inequality, and 69% are dissatisfied with their government’s efforts.
Web Summit notes that in spite of the lack of initiatives, more women are empowered to step into the spotlight as opportunities arise.
Close to 76% of women who answered Web Summit’s survey say they feel empowered to hold or apply for a leadership position.
According to Web Summit, one participant emphasised this point, stating: “Being the only woman among male peers in a senior management position allows me to bring other women into similar roles. I have the opportunity to open more spaces for the next women who arrive.”
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