The gender gap in the Tech Sector
The Tech Sector is a rapidly growing sector, even following Brexit and the strange times we lived through during lockdowns and social distancing, the tech sector seems to have shown persistence with a strong year of growth in 2020, indicating another successful year in 2021.
There are some phenomenal statistics when it comes to the tech sector, such as:
- 37 billion people worldwide are smartphone users, meaning 83.72% own a smartphone device
- 65.6% of the world’s population has internet access
- It is expected that the number of IoT devices will reach 75.44 billion by 2025
- There are estimated to be around 1.35 million tech start-ups globally in a year
With such a high number of the world’s population immersed in tech daily. Why do we see such a large gender gap when it comes to careers in tech in 2022?
Statistics on the gender gap in Tech
Astonishingly, the Office of National Statistics showed that the number of women working in technology has grown but is only 31%. A study from UCAS showed that between 2017 and 2018, the number of female students studying core STEM subjects was at 35%. In computer sciences degrees, 81% of students are male and 19% of students are female. Within the engineering and technology courses, the percentages are the same, with 81% of students being male and again, only 19% of students being female.
The number of women working as IT Technicians increased from 43,087 in 2016, to 53,400 in 2019. Although statistics show that the medium-term trend is showing the number of women in this role increasing, the number of men working in these roles are increasing at a faster rate. Meaning the female proportion of IT Technicians still only stands at 21%.Â
Statistics published by the JCQ showed that in 2020, the number of girls choosing to study computer science at GCSE was 16,901, just over 21% of the total entrance. Compared with 61,540 boys.Â
Where does the gender gap in Tech come from?
With few female role models in tech, it comes as no surprise that there are fewer female students taking up technical courses and going into technical roles. It seems to be common knowledge that men have some of the most influential leaders in the tech sector, with people like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg being the most well-known. Although a change can’t come overnight – we hope to see more influential women making a breakthrough in the tech sector, serving as role models for young girls hoping to pursue a career in tech.
How can we promote diversity in Tech?
At SEP2 we understand that a diverse workforce is extremely important. We have recently created a focus group at SEP2 whose goal is to come up with ways to promote diversity not only within SEP2 but within the tech sector as a whole. This includes coming up with ideas and initiatives to help show young girls the benefits of a career in tech and raising awareness of the different roles and opportunities available within the sector.
If you have any ideas on how we can help close the gender gap within the tech sector, get in touch and let us know.
