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Closing the Tech Gap: Women Navigating Bro Culture and Breaking Barriers
This is your Women in Business podcast.
Welcome to Women in Business, where we celebrate women blazing trails, breaking ceilings, and shaping the future. Today, we’re diving into the economic landscape for women in tech—one of the most dynamic yet challenging arenas for ambitious women everywhere.
First, let’s talk about the numbers. According to the latest Women in Tech reports, women make up about 25 to 30 percent of the global tech workforce, but shockingly, less than 20 percent of tech leadership roles are held by women. The situation is even starker at the highest ranks: just 8 percent of chief technology officers are female, and none of the so-called Big Five U.S. tech giants—think Alphabet, Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft—have ever had a female CEO. That alone illustrates some of the glass walls still standing between talented women and the most influential positions in tech.
Now, despite these numbers, we’re seeing more women step up as founders and entrepreneurs. The rise of women-led startups, especially in software development and emerging technologies, signals a shift. Though just 11 percent of founding teams at tech ventures are half female or more, the stories and impact of women like Reshma Saujani of Girls Who Code and Kimberly Bryant of Black Girls CODE have inspired countless women to reimagine what’s possible in this industry.
But there’s a critical conversation happening around workplace culture. Nearly three-quarters of women in tech report contending with what’s often called a “bro culture”—environments where informal networks, gendered expectations, and unconscious bias still shape who gets ahead. The Women in Digital Annual Report out of Australia made it clear that one of the biggest hurdles is a “Missing Middle”—women whose career momentum stalls mid-way, often due to inflexible structures or the combined pressures of work and caregiving. Fixing this isn’t about ambition—it’s about changing systems to support retention and promotion, so talent isn’t lost before it can flourish.
Pay remains another pressing issue. On average, men in equivalent tech roles earn $15,000 more than women each year. And although remote work has provided flexibility—especially post-pandemic—it hasn’t been a cure-all. Many women report rising burnout rates, and mid-career women are still leaving tech in alarming numbers, sometimes before they reach 35.
So, what’s moving the dial? Forward-thinking companies are adopting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives with more intensity than ever. Pay equity audits, policies for flexible and remote work, and robust mentorship programs all matter. At the same time, intersectional diversity—embracing women from different backgrounds, race, and ages—is showing real promise. And finally, there’s cautious optimism as more girls are encouraged to pursue STEM education—though we have work to do, with just one in five new computer science grads being women today.
Listeners, as we look at the road ahead, let’s keep these five discussion points in mind. The pace of women’s advancement in tech leadership. The role of startup culture and women-led innovation. Workplace culture and the challenge of retention. Pay parity and the impact of remote work. And the power of policy, mentoring, and education in shaping a more inclusive future.
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Published on 3 months, 1 week ago