Women Are Still Outnumbered in the Tech Industry

This is an important one to highlight. While we have indeed seen some progress toward gender equality in the tech industry over the past decade, women are still vastly outnumbered by men. 

In 2021, 72% of women in tech are outnumbered by men in business meetings by at least a two-to-one ratio. Even further digging shows that 26% of women report being outnumbered by five to one or more in most meetings. Interestingly, a good majority of men agree with this observation.

This lines up with self-reported research from the largest tech companies in America. There, female employees make up between 28% (Microsoft) and 42% (Amazon) of the total workforce.

The science is clear here. Having so few women at the table leads to the silencing of women. Lack of representation leads to other challenges for women in tech as well. It limits their opportunities for mentorship and sponsorship. It fosters unconscious gender bias in company culture. And it leaves many women without a clear path forward. Underrepresentation underlies many of the inequalities covered in TrustRadius’ report.