Prime 10 girls in tech and variety in tech tales of 2025
The previous 12 months has introduced uncertainty for range within the tech sector because the panorama within the US turned bitter, with President Donald Trump ordering the termination of range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and roles.
There have been considerations that UK corporations would comply with swimsuit, however because the 12 months went on, it grew to become clear that many are nonetheless main the cost to enhance range within the sector.
However analysis additionally discovered the variety of girls in tech continues to be rising very slowly, and ladies are leaving the sector in bigger numbers, in order the 12 months bows out, many questions stay about how the variety panorama will look subsequent 12 months within the UK tech sector.
The write-up from the 2024 Laptop Weekly and Harvey Nash Range in Tech occasion shone a lightweight on the overlapping experiences of some underrepresented teams and the way organisations can cater to those people.
Whereas there was an rising give attention to hiring particular teams of individuals, akin to girls or individuals of color, this may overlook how having a couple of of those traits can have an effect on worker expertise within the expertise sector.
Corporations want to raised perceive individuals’s particular person experiences and make the work surroundings protected for everybody to raised benefit from the positives a various workforce can convey.
There are a lot of causes girls keep away from the expertise sector, and a survey from recruitment agency Lorien discovered {that a} lack of work-life stability is a giant barrier for girls in tech.
Ladies are extra doubtless than males to shoulder the burden of caregiving, whether or not for youngsters or older relations, and with out flexibility at work, this may be troublesome to keep up.
Lorien’s analysis discovered that 45% of ladies have had difficulties with work-life stability of their position, making it the most important barrier they’ve confronted of their careers.
With synthetic intelligence (AI) turning into more and more embedded in on a regular basis life, there was a give attention to making certain the groups creating the expertise mirror its numerous consumer base.
To this finish, the UK authorities introduced plans this 12 months to extend the variety of women taking maths at A-level in a bid to encourage extra women into careers in AI.
Because the 12 months went on, extra proof emerged {that a} lack of flexibility is standing in the best way of elevated range within the tech sector.
Analysis performed on behalf of the Division for Science, Innovation and Know-how (DSIT) discovered {that a} lack of entry to versatile working and unconscious bias are among the many boundaries stopping underrepresented teams from going into expertise roles.
The hiring course of, a scarcity of illustration throughout job ranges and a scarcity of versatile working preparations have been recognized among the many challenges DSIT flagged as needing “thought of and sustained efforts” to handle.
Additional solidifying the dire state of affairs with regards to the shortage of ladies within the expertise business, the discharge of the Oliver Wyman and WeAreTechWomen Lovelace report confirmed that girls are leaving the expertise sector in massive numbers.
Between 40,000 and 60,000 girls are leaving digital roles every year, some for brand new roles and a few to exit the sector, in lots of circumstances due to a scarcity of growth alternatives of their careers.
Sadly, the expertise sector misplaced an awesome in August, with the passing of Dame Stephanie Shirley on the age of 91.
A serial founder, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Shirley was a part of the expertise sector for greater than 50 years, and was famously recognized for adopting her household nickname, Steve, to be taken critically after efforts to begin her personal firm fell on deaf ears as soon as it was clear she was a lady.
Shirley was a pioneer in versatile working, founding a expertise firm known as Freelance Programmers in 1962, the place the workers of predominantly girls labored from residence promoting software program and programming.
She can be missed.
Analysis from The Adaptavist Group discovered that unequal entry to AI is stopping girls and folks from underrepresented backgrounds from studying how you can use the expertise correctly.
That is inflicting an “alternative hole”, whereby AI coaching is extra out there to some than others – 84% of these from greater revenue households consider they’ve obtained good steerage on how you can use AI in contrast with solely 59% within the decrease revenue bracket.
In November, Naomi Timperley, co-founder of Tech North Advocates, grew to become the 14th particular person to be named Laptop Weekly’s most influential lady in UK tech.
The announcement was made alongside the remainder of the highest 50, in addition to Laptop Weekly’s 2025 Rising Stars, and the checklist of girls in tech Corridor of Famers.
All through 2025, Beckie Taylor, public speaker and founding father of Tech Returners, created a six-part documentary sequence known as Breaking the sound barrier – voices unleashed, following the journeys of 10 girls in expertise as they realized expertise in public talking.
Aiming to assist girls in any respect phases of their careers construct confidence, the documentary sought to indicate the development of position fashions within the expertise sector as they be taught to benefit from their affect within the sector.
Whereas the expertise sector claims it understands the necessity for numerous teams in senior positions, there stays a scarcity of ladies and underrepresented teams on the high.
The 12 months rounded out with analysis from consultancy Suppose & Develop discovering the UK’s fastest-growing expertise startups and scaleups lack girls in high positions.
In accordance with the analysis, solely 12% of the fastest-growing startups within the UK have a feminine CEO, chair or founder, and 36% don’t have any girls on their boards.
