Gender Inequality Issues in the Technology Industry

One in three women working in the tech field say they experience gender bias at their workplace

It’s an issue that still exists even today: gender inequality in the workforce. It’s unfortunate, especially considering it’s 2021. But specific to the tech industry, it’s an issue that’s still prevalent amongst women. In fact, one in three women in the tech field say they experience gender bias at their workplace.

We surveyed 1,000 women working in the tech industry to better understand their experiences working in a historically male-dominated field.

Gender Bias in Tech Industry

38% of the respondents said they witness gender bias at their workplace, and 38% also said that men are assumed to be more capable than women in their tech-based workplace. Not only are women experiencing or witnessing gender bias, but almost half (46%) say their organizations are not actively prioritizing gender equality within their hiring or culture.

Gender Pay Gap

Within a workplace, a gender bias may show itself in many ways, such as a pay gap where women are paid less than a man for doing the same job. 43% of survey respondents believe there is a gender pay gap at their workplace, but only 24% of women have discussed a pay gap with their coworkers.

Remote Work

While some industries have transitioned to full-time remote positions because of the pandemic, many tech industry roles have always been filled by remote workers. Although some may think gender inequality only exists when people are working in an office, that bias is still being found through remote work.

One in ten women are experiencing gender-based harassment over Slack or email, and 70% said they prefer having their camera off during video calls. Almost half of the women surveyed (48) aren’t even sure if their organization has a remote work harassment policy.

Pandemic Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s lives over the last year and a half, including women who work in the tech field. 52% of women said their workload has increased since the start of the pandemic, and about a quarter (27%) now find themselves less optimistic about their career.

The pandemic has also impacted women and their career plans, as 38% said they plan to leave their jobs in the tech industry within the next two years.

Tech Industry Challenges

Why might women choose a career path in a historically male-dominated industry? Well almost half of the women we surveyed (46%) said they got into the field because of compensation, while 33% said they did it for job security. Other reasons included a passion for the industry, flexibility, and prevalence of jobs.

While no industry is perfect and has its challenges, we were curious as to what women find the biggest challenges in the tech industry to be. The biggest challenge, according to the women we surveyed, is the lack of opportunities for advancement. Other challenges include a lack of mentorship, lack of training resources, and a pay gap.

When you think of the tech industry, it may be harder to think of a female role model dominating the field. In fact, that’s another one of the major challenges the tech field faces, according to 48% of the women we surveyed.

Training and Improvements

There’s always room for growth or learning opportunities, and the tech field can always change. Hopefully, it does, as 81% said they believe improvements need to be made within their organization. Perhaps more classes or training for employees, or even simply hiring more women may be beneficial.

According to the women we surveyed, only 13% said their organization offers training specifically for women, versus the 54% that believe their tech company should offer specific training just for women.

Most Desirable Work Perks

While some women may be facing gender inequality issues in their workplace, there are some perks to working in the tech field. This biggest perk? According to 81% of survey respondents, it’s the flexible work hours. 74% of women say the PTO is also a perk, and 55% said it's paid maternity leave.

Other perks women are finding in the tech field include the ability to work remotely, 401k matching, training, stock options, and paid paternity leave.

Methodology

We surveyed 1,000 women who work in the tech industry to ask about their experiences, challenges as well as improvements they’d like to see. The average age of respondents was 29. Work environment: Office/in-person (42%), fully remote (26%), hybrid (32%). Salary: Less than $25K (11%), $25-$50K (38%), $50-$100K (43%), more than $100K (8%).

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