Girls in ICT Day: Statistics Reveal Stark Gender Gap in Tech

While celebrating the achievements of women in technology is highly important, inspiring girls and young women to consider careers in ICT is critical.

Following Women in Tech Day, celebrated earlier in the month, Girls in ICT Day aims to do this, by working to inspire girls and young women to pursue studies and careers in ICT.

Statistics from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicate that internet penetration rates stand at 65% for women compared to 70% for men worldwide, translating to 189 million fewer women than men with internet access.

This emphasises the need to close the digital gender divide as women only represent a little over a fifth of IT specialists, despite making up less than half of the UK workforce.

The Executive Technology Briefing – Women in Technology is taking place at Tech & AI LIVE on 14 May at 155 Bishopsgate, London.

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Calls for greater representation

Ana Cidre, Head of International Developer Relations at Okta and Founder of GalsTech, notes the current state of the industry.

"While we've made progress, there's still more to do when it comes to diversity and gender equality in our industry," she says. "In the UK, for example, women make up 47% of the overall workforce but only 21% of IT specialists."

Cidre established GalsTech in 2017 to address this imbalance in the developer community.

"I wanted to connect with other women in the dev/tech community, to learn from each other and to inspire younger generations to consider a career in ICT. One of our main goals was to get more girls interested in pursuing a technical career," she says.

Okta has implemented internal programmes to support women in technology roles.

"At Okta, we're committed to building a truly inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and included," Ana explains.

The company operates Women@Okta, which provides professional development through mentorship programmes and internal speaker series addressing gender equality and women in leadership positions.

Par Merat, Vice President of Learning at Cisco, views the day as an opportunity for industry collaboration.

"Girls in ICT Day is a tremendous opportunity for all of us to come together to learn from and celebrate women who are making a difference in the field of ICT," Par says.

Cisco even hosted a livestream event featuring women professionals describing their career paths in technology, aiming to provide direct insights into ICT sector opportunities.

Leadership gap persists across technology sector

The ITU, which launched the Girls in ICT Day initiative in 2011, reports significant disparities in technology access and career progression.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General of the ITU, emphasises the human impact of digital exclusion.

"Behind these statistics are real women and girls who don't have opportunities to learn, earn, connect and create. Connectivity is the foundation of these opportunities," she says. "For it to be meaningful, we need affordable, safe, relevant and transformative online spaces where girls can thrive.

"That requires overcoming some long-standing barriers: unequal access to education and digital skills, harmful social norms, affordability constraints and online spaces that too often exclude or endanger women and girls."

Additional data from Cisco reveals women hold 12.4% of executive leadership positions at vice president level and above, while representing 30% of the artificial intelligence workforce.

Telefónica points to role models as critical for shifting representation.

"To stand a chance of thriving in the STEM field, girls and young women need to meet women in leadership positions, encouraging inspiration," the company states.

Technology careers extend beyond technical roles, according to industry leaders, with multiple pathways available for women entering the sector.

Anne Fox, Strategic Accounts Director at Xalient, emphasises the breadth of opportunities available.

"As the technology landscape evolves, there is a growing need for more people to pursue a career in the technology sector," she says, arguing that technology careers should not be limited to those with technical backgrounds.

She adds: "This gap must be addressed by attracting more girls and women into the technology industry. While some girls will learn coding, app development and computer science and become well-positioned to embrace a career in technology, others who are less technology-minded should also explore career opportunities in the sector.

"Women bring a set of skills that are often overlooked by business generally, but that are highly beneficial in successful and thriving workplaces. These softer skills, such as empathy and listening skills, are valuable to employees, for customer relationships and for gaining an understanding of what customers want.

"Women need to realise that they have a role to play in the future of technology."

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