Closing the gender gap in tech through mentorship

Women today are less represented in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics compared to their male counterparts – an unfortunate fact many are familiar with. However, I was shocked to learn that today, the ratio of women to men working in technology is lower than it was almost 35 years ago.

Certainly, I have always been aware of disparities between men and women in tech from statistics I’ve picked here and there. Unfortunately, too, some of my own lived experiences have reinforced that data.

To learn, however, that the percentage of women in tech is shrinking was truly shocking. Working alongside so many other talented women in technology, perhaps my perceptions about the number of women in tech have been skewed?

According to CompTIA’s 2023 State of the Tech Workforce report, that same year, women occupied 26% of the tech labor force (Source). While that number is not encouraging to say the least, it is even less so when we learn that in 1990, 35% of tech workers were women according to a report from the American Association of University Women (Source).

The declining percentage of women in tech first surprised me, since I, like many, may have assumed that with increasing numbers of women in the field, that the percentage was also increasing. Quickly, though, my surprise turned to disappointment, followed soon by a sense that I should never have been surprised in the first place.

To find actionable solutions to achieve my own professional goals, I needed to understand more about the challenges facing tech workers in general, and in particular women. After comparing data sets about gender and age among tech workers, the need to overcome these challenges became even more urgent.

An alarming 50% of women in tech leave the industry before the age of 35 (Source).

Why is retention so difficult for younger women in tech?

Younger women tend to work for smaller organizations, where they may be asked to expand the scope of their roles, work longer hours, and lack the infrastructural support that comes with working in larger, more established tech companies – especially at the enterprise level.?

This could add additional stress to women who are already likely to face biases in the workplace, regardless of industry. The Pew Research Center found that 50% of women have experienced gender discrimination at work, while 20% of women said yes their gender made success in the workplace difficult, and 36% of women reported that sexual harassment is a problem in their workplace (Source). To say nothing of the wage gaps.

For some women in their thirties, family and children are also a consideration. The challenge of balancing personal and professional priorities in a dynamic industry that often calls us to our desks well beyond the traditional 9 – 5, is difficult for women in general, but especially for mothers.

More research needs to be done to explore why so many women in tech leave at the same age many are or become mothers. Though anecdotally, there seems to be some causation and not just correlation.

But, with so many women leaving tech at such a relatively young age, women tech workers face even more friction when trying to advance their careers. According to McKinsey & Company and Lean In, the percentage of women working in tech decreases as career level rises (Source).

In leadership roles, the situation for women in tech is even more stark. In 2024, only 14% of tech leaders were women, Nash Squared’s 2023 Digital Leadership Report found (Source). Only 2 of the largest 50 tech companies have female CEOs as of March 2024 (Source). The problems for women founders in tech are compounded even more.

And yet, the challenges for women of some backgrounds and lived experiences in technology is even greater still. BIPOC women are less represented than their white counterparts in tech, and those who are currently in the field are less likely to envision their future at their current companies, and more likely to leave their current jobs (Source).?

Statistically, women of color are less likely to get promotions and face more disparities in pay. (Source). And, discouragingly, even when doors have been opened for BIPOC women, the Center for WorkLife Law found in a 2022 survey that women of color still feel they need to demonstrate competency more often and to a greater extent than white women (Source) – which many women don’t need a survey to confirm.

These numbers do not seem promising for women working in technology. Certainly, there are many obstacles we need to overcome, and they vary based upon age, background, sub-industry, location, and so many other factors.

But where do we go from here?

Because the challenges facing women in tech are so numerous, complex, and interconnected, I wanted to find holistic solutions to empower individuals, and to create change in this industry and beyond.

One of the most powerful tools to transform the experiences of women in tech, I felt, is mentorship. Mentorship is a relationship as dynamic and agile as the tech industry itself, and helps mentees build skills, close knowledge gaps, expand their networks, gain perspectives, build self-confidence, and ultimately, reach their highest potential.?

Without mentorship, I would not have been able to advance my career and scale my?

business and in an industry that at times can be less than kind to me women. Mentorship can benefit anyone in any industry at any stage of their career, but for some communities, especially in some industries and for those with more barriers to success, mentorship is even more essential.

But not everyone can access mentorship. Even looking back at my own journey, finding mentors –?and the right mentors was not easy at first. Like many issues facing women in their careers, the challenges we encounter trying to seek mentorship are also greater. In fact, MicKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2023 survey reports that men disproportionately benefit from mentorship. BIPOC tend to even have less opportunities for mentorship.

So I created Upnotch? – a completely free platform that hosts a global community for mentees and mentors to connect and grow together.?

One of the most essential features of the platform is that members of our network can join communities to meet others in similar roles, industries, or affinity groups. Since launching the Women in Tech community on Upnotch?, it has become one of our largest and most active.

While I was dismayed to realize the number of women in tech is actually shrinking today, the popularity of the Women in Tech community gives me a lot of hope. Already, from the connections we’ve created and the conversations we’ve had collectively through regular digital events, I’m encouraged that members are more focused on working together to find solutions to empower each other.

Every person’s story is different, and so are their goals – even if we all share some things in common because of our background, or industry. Because mentorships are so highly personal, mentees need to seek guidance from mentors who understand their needs. And, while I’m proud that Upnotch? offers several ways to pair mentees and mentors for maximum compatibility, I also realize that no match is 100% perfect.

By joining communities like Women in Tech on Upnotch?, you can infinitely expand your network of mentors to get all of the specialized knowledge, industry insights, and even personal advice you need to help you accelerate your growth, despite obstacles. Then, you can build a Personal Board of Advisors with several mentors who can help you achieve all of your short- and long-term goals – not just the ones that a single mentor can help you achieve.

Mentorship is not by any means the only solution we need to close the gender gap in tech. But numbers – as well as the experiences of myself and colleagues – prove that mentorship has direct, measurable impacts for individual women working in tech and contributes to the growth and success of business, and the industry overall.

I’m inspired that the Women in Tech community on Upnotch? is already creating change. Be a part of that change and join us today.