The gender divide has long existed in the tech industry. In fact, women have lost out since the very start; they’ve faced lower wages, they fulfil fewer leadership roles and they aren’t given the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
But finally, change is on the horizon. Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, LinkedIn has published research revealing that more women are landing roles in tech.
More women in STEM jobs
LinkedIn’s 2018 survey, cited by The Ladders, gives an overview of the industry over the last 40 years. It found that STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) jobs are the fastest-growing sector. For instance, there’s been almost a 25% hike in the number of women in software and information technology roles.
The job with the strongest growth this year was test development engineer (+243%). In last year’s survey, the top three STEM careers with the highest growth were user experience designer (+67%), chief technology officer (+67%) and web developer (+40%).
Obviously, this is great news, because tech needs women just as much as it needs men. Women have been underrepresented in the sector for decades, so it’s great to see that positive change is happening now.
Not enough female leaders
One area that still needs to be improved, however, is tech leadership. Findings from the 2017 survey showed that women accounted for just 18% of all CEOs in the workplace. This suggests companies need to do more to reduce gender bias, accommodate female leaders and give them the tools and training they need to flourish.
Tech roles with River Island
We’re currently undergoing a mighty digital transformation and part of that involves growing our tech team, within which you’ll see a number of females in leadership positions. We see diversity as key to innovation and strive to create a company that’s completely unbiased – we’re simply interested in recruiting people who are passionate, collaborative and open-minded. Do you tick these boxes?
Take a look at our current vacancies today.
Sources:
https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/research-women-making-significant-gains-in-tech-since-2008