It’s estimated that only 17% of employees in the UK tech sector are female. Research by AllBright has also found that one in five female founders – that’s 22% – say they are not being heard by male investors. A different survey by tech recruitment firm Dice found that an overwhelming majority (82%) of female respondents said they believed in the existence of a wage gap. Some 60% of women who took the survey also said they were treated differently to their male colleagues.
The tech industry has been rattled by horrific tales of sexism, discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Women such as Ellen Pao and Uber’s Susan Fowler have highlighted wide ranging issues across the sector.
Diversity – or the lack thereof – is a term that’s thrown about often, and sometimes rather vacuously, but the fact of the matter is that the technology industry needs more of it. A few weeks ago, I reached out to UKTN readers, telling them about our upcoming Women in Tech campaign in a bid to gain further insight into peoples’ opinions on the subject. The response has been overwhelming – I’ve heard from women of different ages, backgrounds and roles. But, I’ve also heard from men, who have shown great concern about the misrepresentation of women across the sector, and their willingness to change this. ...