Six Hard Truths About Women’s Uphill Battle for Equality in Tech

By now, it’s well understood that women are hugely underrepresented in the tech industry. Despite the fact that women make up a majority of today’s workforce, they only account for 28% of the tech industry.

But this glaring gender gap is only one piece of a much larger issue.

To better understand the reality that today’s women in tech face, Navisite polled more than 100 women in the technology industry and asked them to get real about the hard truths they face every day. What our survey results showed was that despite efforts many have made in the past decade to close the gender divide in tech, women continue to struggle with how they are treated, compensated and valued within their field.

“The survey results make it clear that there is still much to be done to support women in the workplace,” said Gina Murphy, president and chief transformation officer at Navisite. “While equal pay continues to be an issue, the survey reveals the problem goes much deeper to show how women in tech are being undervalued and experiencing gender inequality on a daily basis. It’s important to shed light on these situations so organizations can take steps to address them.”

Here’s what the 100+ women had to say about their experiences in the tech industry (click here to view the full infographic).

1. Women Are Held to a Higher Standard Than Their Male Colleagues

2. Women Are Asked to Handle More Admin Tasks Than Men

3. Women Feel Overlooked and Discounted in the Workplace

4. Women Feel Like They’re Judged for Expressing Emotions at Work

5. Most Women in Tech Believe the Glass Ceiling is Still Intact

6. Many Women Feel Underpaid Compared to Their Male Colleagues

Finding the Silver Lining

There’s still work to be done until we achieve true gender parity in tech. But, there are reasons to believe in a more equal future. Of the women surveyed, 63% feel encouraged to pursue a career in tech and 59% have a female role model or female executive mentor in their organization.

To learn more about how Navisite is championing women in tech, visit navisite.com/steminist.