Why are there still so few women in tech?

The Industry’s Gender Gap, Through the Eyes of Those Living It

A client asked us yesterday regarding an AI Product Owner position we are helping them with “I noticed all candidates so far have been male. Were there challenges in finding qualified female candidates? Our experience suggests they often excel in these roles and bring valuable perspectives.”

This struck a chord so we dove in:

TL;DR:

It isn’t news to most people that despite decades of awareness, women remain vastly underrepresented in the tech industry—especially in technical and leadership roles. The reasons are complex: a mix of outdated stereotypes, cultural barriers inside organizations, and structural inequities in education and hiring. We spoke to women across the tech pipeline to understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change.

Why are there still so few women in tech? 

In 2024, women held just 26% of computing-related jobs in the U.S, a figure that’s barely budged in the past decade. Only 11% of software architects and 16% of Fortune 500 CTOs are women. The numbers are worse for women of color.

Globally, some countries are moving the needle. In India, women make up nearly half of STEM grads, and in Finland, early CS education and robust parental leave have driven higher participation. Companies are also investing in DEI initiatives—blind hiring, returnships, mentorship programs - but progress remains uneven and often superficial, at best.

Some people cling to the belief that psychological differences are to blame - pointing to confidence gaps, risk aversion, or interest in people over systems. But research shows that early socialization and subtle bias - not biological aptitude - are the root drivers. From classroom dynamics to career advice, girls are still steered away from tech before they ever opt out.

Then there’s tech culture itself. Many workplaces reward aggression, glorify burnout, and operate via old boys’ networks. Hiring algorithms often replicate past biases, and promotion tracks are rarely transparent. The result? High attrition among women, even when they enter the field.

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So we asked some women in the tech industry:

We asked Susan Thayer: What has helped or hindered other women rising in the ranks?

I worked for an AI SaaS startup a few years ago.  They had one female on their ELT.  She told me that she felt isolated and when round tables happened at QBR meetings, she was often unheard - though she was the most qualified person in the room on the topic.  What has hindered?  Men, unfortunately.  It may be very subconscious, but perception-bias that a female voice is not going to add value exists.

So, what would help?  Men.  Having faith in the person the company hires to know what they are doing, and that they made a good hiring choice so that everyone can act accordingly would be a great help.  The more women hired in executive roles, the more women will be attracted to the company, the more support the women will have from People Ops, etc.

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We asked our friend Lucero Linares: What biases persist in hiring?

It's difficult to define. Whenever I have a new requisition I usually get 98% male applicants.

Now, talking about what actual job posts can do: noticing a pattern lately… Why do so many tech job ads on LinkedIn still read like they’re written for the boys’ club? It's 2025 and yet, the language and tone in so many posts scream 'bro culture'—no wonder women feel like outsiders before they even hit 'apply.' We can do better. Inclusive language isn’t fluff, it’s strategy.  I think diversity doesn’t start at the hiring interview — it starts with the job post.

 
What Needs to Change

If we want a diverse tech industry, we need to stop expecting women to adapt to broken systems—and instead, fix the systems. Here’s Susan’s take:

It's not a simple question.  We all enter into fields where we believe we will find a community, so tech companies who have a limited representation of women in their current workforce will have a hard time attracting female talent. 

Then as we dive deeper, the attraction to STEM for women heading to university is limited.  The freshman class of 2025 entering a Computer Science degree program was 21% female in the US, and 23% worldwide.  We have to start there and work forward.  Involving young women in STEM early in primary school would likely boost those numbers.

So in bias, since the roles on our software teams have not been equally shared by both genders, it's possible the perception is that women can't do this job as well as their male counterparts.  

A third challenge arises.  Within tech, women have a significantly higher attrition rate then men.  You could hypothesis that this is due to lack of DEI support, team bias, harassment, work/life balance...  The reasons are unfathomable, but the data shows that it may be harder for women to overcome the barrier because of "past experiences" managers have had with females on their team.

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Some takeaways from our 15 years recruiting in the tech sector:

For employers:

• Track and publish gender data.
  
  
• Build mentorship and sponsorship programs.
  
  
• Offer flexible, family-friendly career paths.
  
  
• Redesign hiring and promotion criteria to reduce bias and emphasize unique perspectives in a male dominated industry.
  
  
  

For aspiring women in tech:

• Seek out supportive communities and mentors.
  
  
• Apply, even if you don’t meet 100% of the job description.
  
  
• Know that you belong - because you do.
  
  

Big thank you to

Lucero Linares is polyglot Talent Acquisition expert with over 8 years experience in the HR industry globally, specializes in technology recruitment, and is the Queen of Recruitment at Netmidas.

Susan Thayer is a Talent Acquisitions consultant to small and mid-sized companies, and specializes in start ups with limited recruitment budget