Women across the UK will be given more support to enter, stay and lead in UK technology with the launch of the Women in Technology Taskforce by Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
This follows the inaugural meeting of the Women in Key Technology Task Force held at the British Science Association on Monday.
The UK’s technology sector is growing, but it’s not working for everyone. Every year, the economy loses an estimated £2 billion to £3.5 billion when women leave or change jobs in the tech industry due to barriers that shouldn’t exist.
The Women in Technology Taskforce will therefore advise the Government on how to better support diversity in technology and enable the UK to make the most of the talent pool, market opportunities and innovation capacity it needs to grow its economy.
Percentage of women in technology: Their numbers lag far behind men
The need for change is clear. Men outnumber women with computer science degrees by a ratio of 4 to 1. Women are less likely to enter, stay in, or advance into leadership roles in technology, not because they are less capable, but because of systemic barriers holding them back.
Alarmingly, a 2023 Fawcett Institute survey found that 20% of men in the technology industry believe that women are inherently less suited for these roles.
At the current pace, it will take 283 years for women to achieve equal representation in technology. Startups founded by women receive 5.9 times less funding than startups founded by men, despite having a 35% higher return on investment.
Breaking down barriers to education, training and careers
The Women in Tech Task Force identifies and removes barriers to education, training, and career advancement.
We develop practical solutions that can be implemented in parallel by government and industry, shaping policy that promotes diversity and levels the playing field, driving sustainable and inclusive economic growth by expanding opportunities for women across the UK.
“Technology should work for everyone, which is why I established the Women in Technology Taskforce to break down the barriers that still hold back so many people and partner with industry on practical solutions that make real change,” explained Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
Replicating the success of female-led tech startups
As one of the first moves to establish the Task Force, STEMETTES founder Anne-Marie Imafidon has been appointed as Special Envoy for Women in Technology, and will lead the Task Force alongside the Secretary of State in this role.
The taskforce will aim to replicate the success of some of the UK’s best female-led technology companies, including Ivee, Starling Bank, Peanut and Koru Kids.
It will also complement major DSIT initiatives to develop and support tech talent in the UK, including the £187m TechFirst skills program and regional tech booster programmes.
Encouraging more women into technology careers starts in the classroom. That’s why the government is launching the ground-breaking TechFirst skills program to help more girls develop technology-related skills and consider careers in technology in the future.
Increase representation across the technology industry
This comes as the government announced a new curriculum to ensure all young people learn essential digital and AI skills and develop the competencies they need to open the door to a career in technology.
Widespread support for the Government’s STEM Ambassador Program and the National Center for Computing Education’s ‘I Belong’ program is showing girls across the country the possibility of a career in technology.
The Women in Tech Task Force will build on these measures to develop a plan to increase representation in the technology workforce.
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