2026 women in tech inclusion guide
Updated: Aug 18
In 2023, a global developer survey revealed that approximately 75 percent of the developers identified as male, while the share of female developers globally stood at around 23 percent. Statistica
Increasing the proportion of women in the tech workforce to approximately 45% could bridge the talent gap and enhance the EU's GDP by €260 to €600 billion (McKinsey, 2023). Tech needs women.
However, a recent report showed that 95% of employers seeking tech talent face a skills gap. Conventional recruitment methods are no longer sufficient - we need more innovative approaches that tap into talent from non-traditional pathways. Despite the backlash against DEI, there is hope. Numerous advocacy groups and industry leaders actively drive change and hold the tech industry accountable for continued progress towards increased diversity, equity, and inclusivity.
This article, drawing on my extensive experience as a woman in the tech industry, is a guide to resources available for women considering a career in tech and for organisations eager to tap into this diverse talent pool.
Contents
Who's this tech inclusion guide for?
Whether you're embarking on your tech career or seeking to advance your skills, ample support is available. The tech industry encompasses many roles beyond coding, from project management and UX design, to data analysis and cybersecurity. There is a role for you here.
This guide is for:
Organisations that want to drive inclusive tech.
Parents or teachers who want to support girls to get into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Women dreaming about a new career.
Women in tech already want to find a community.
Women who want to pivot their careers.
Why I care about inclusive tech
As a female leader in tech for 30 years, I've experienced first-hand the transformative impact that a tech career can have. I've also experienced the downsides of being the only woman in a tech leadership role, which I discuss in my blog, Woman leaders: being the only.
I've walked my path of promoting inclusion, nurturing talent, and coaching many women to get into tech. I started Kinkajou to tackle these issues head-on, and we're on a mission to impact thousands of leaders, their teams and their organisations to drive positive change in tech.
What are some career pathways in tech?
There are endless pathways. I changed role every two years and travelled the world. I moved from software engineer to quality assurance to product management to software director to digital transformation - and a whole lot of other stuff in between.
💡 Tip: Not sure where to start? Check out the Code First Girls Career Pathways Guide for a practical overview of roles in tech.
Diversity in tech statistics
Women make up half the UK population, but only 22% of AI and data professionals and 18% of users across the largest online global data science platform. Alan Turing Institute
The 2024 UK Diversity in Tech Report stats show that:
21% of women are in senior tech roles.
29% of tech employees identify as women or non-binary.
1 in 3 women plan to leave their tech job.
20% of software engineers are women.
50% of neurodivergent women working in tech revealed their neurodivergent status to their manager, while the number is 69% for neurodivergent men.
Kinkajou Limited was a signatory of the UK Tech Talent Charter - a government-supported, industry-led group of 800+ organisations. It promotes diversity and inclusion efforts within its member organisations and publishes its diversity data annually.
Sadly, the UK Tech Talent Charter closed in 2024. However, there is hope with the UK Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce.
Recent closures of women in tech organisations
Recent developments in the women in tech landscape have closed some prominent organisations.
2024 saw the sudden closure of the charity Women Who Code, a US-based organisation with 145,000 members. In April, it announced it was shutting down "due to factors that materially impacted our funding sources".
Meanwhile, the US non-profit Girls in Tech closed in July, 2024, after 17 years of operation. Founder Adriana Gascoigne told the news site VentureBeat that lack of funding was "the main reason" for the decision.
Additionally, the UK initiative Tech Talent Charter, which aimed to promote greater diversity in the tech sector, shut down in June 2024. The organisation cited tech companies' "quietly quitting" on their commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as a contributing factor to its closure.
Efforts to increase women in tech
Several approaches are being implemented to attract and retain more women in the technology industry:
Organisational strategies
Creating women in tech initiatives with coaching, mentoring and training.
Creating support networks and reducing isolation for women in tech roles.
Reskilling and upskilling strategies through non-traditional approaches such as flexible skills pathways. Check out "Building Tomorrow’s Workforce: Inclusive Skills Development in the Age of AI" (Code First Girls) for a head start.
Workplace improvements
Enhancing work flexibility to address caregiving responsibilities.
Integrating retention goals for women into performance reviews.
Providing more management support and career opportunities.
Educational and early career initiatives
Getting into schools to tackle gender stereotypes about STEM.
Supporting women in university STEM programmes.
Offering more internship opportunities.
Providing mentoring and coaching for women entering the workforce.
Representation and role models
Increasing the visibility of women tech leaders with awards such as the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2024 awards, which promote women's achievements in the UK technology industry. The 2024 winner was Sheridan Ash, the Co-CEO of Tech She Can.
Creating women-focused events and conferences such as Women of Silicon Roundabout.
Joint local government and industry efforts
The City of London Corporation has launched the Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce to tackle the issue of women's underrepresentation in digital industries.
The Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce
Launched in April 2024 by the City of London Corporation, the Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce ran for two years with a clear mission: help women from non-technical backgrounds pivot into digital and tech careers, and give employers the tools to hire and retain them. It brought together over 60 employers, 60 training providers, and subject matter experts from across the UK, organised across four workstreams led by Accenture, Oliver Wyman, the Alan Turing Institute, and BNY.
What it did
Created pathways for women with five or more years of non-technical experience to move into roles in AI, data, cyber and IT.
Worked with financial and professional services firms to change hiring practices and embed inclusion into workforce planning.
Produced practical resources for employers and training providers on attracting, retaining and upskilling women in digital roles.
Developed policy recommendations for government on closing the gender gap in tech.
What it found
Before concluding, the Taskforce published research showing that rigid hiring practices excluding mid-career women could cost UK financial services and tech sectors £10.8 billion in lost productivity over the next decade.
In 2024 alone, over 12,000 digital vacancies went unfilled, costing firms an average of £78,600 per vacancy in annual productivity losses. The full report makes a compelling business case for change.
What comes next?
In December 2025, the UK Government launched a new Women in Tech Taskforce, led by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, with a broader remit: helping more women enter, stay and lead in the UK tech sector. The estimated annual cost of women leaving tech is £2-3.5 billion. The case keeps getting stronger, and now there's government-level momentum behind it.
Key organisations supporting women in tech
Women in tech organisations are critical because they address fundamental industry challenges. These organisations use various approaches, including education, mentorship, networking, skill development, and advocacy, to increase women's representation and success in digital technology fields.
IBM SKills Build
Multiverse
Final thoughts
In a time of DEI backlash, these advocacy groups serve as critical safeguards against losing hard-won progress, ensuring that the tech industry continues to move towards greater inclusivity and innovation. If you're starting your tech career or seeking to advance your skills, support is available. Tech has diverse roles and isn't just for the "tech bros". Tech needs women.
Ready to support women in tech with coaching and community?
