Women face increasing pressure to choose between family and career in tech, says new report

Women increasingly feel pressured to choose between having a family and their career in tech, according to a new study.

Almost half (49%) of women in tech said they felt pressured to make the choice between family and work, a seven per cent increase from last year.

Half said they had experienced sexism in their tech workplace.

The findings were revealed in tech events firm Web Summit’s latest report on women in the industry, which has been running since 2018.

More than 1,000 women were surveyed for the report, which found continued sexism across the tech industry.

“It’s frustrating that issues like sexism, unfair pay, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance keep appearing – it often feels like we’re stuck in the same conversations,” said Carolyn Quinlan, a vice president of community at the organisation.

More than three-quarters of the women said they feel the need to work harder than their male counterparts.

“There is always one guy in the room who will speak over me,” said one respondent.

“Without effective childcare support in place, it makes it more challenging for women who also want to have a family to fully participate in the workforce,” said another.

However, although many of the report’s findings showed discrimination against women, there were some positives.

Three-quarters of respondents said they would feel empowered to pursue and hold a leadership position, and more than 80% said there is a woman in senior management in their company.

“I can’t help but feel hopeful,” said Ms Quinlan, who said more women are “stepping up” and “leading”.