Overcoming tech career barriers faced by underrepresented groups | Computer Weekly

"The past 10 years have seen the number of women in the UK's tech sector creep up from 16% in 2015 to 22% in 2025, and black women still only account for 0.6% of people in tech roles. There are countless reasons for this, including a lack of inclusive culture in the sector, limited visibility of career role models, insufficient flexibility in the workplace and misconceptions about the type of people who work in tech roles, along with the influence of unconscious bias."

"Furthermore, the recent Lovelace report found that between 40,000 and 60,000 women are leaving digital roles each year, whether for other tech roles or to leave tech for good, with a quarter citing the reason as an absence of opportunities to advance their career in their current roles. "We are seeing this happening across the industry - that's what all the data indicates to us - and at every stage of a woman's career. So we have to acknowledge that we are dealing with a systemic problem across the whole piece," said Karen Blake, tech inclusion strategist and co-author of the Lovelace report."

The UK technology sector shows only marginal gains in female representation, rising from 16% in 2015 to 22% in 2025, while Black women represent just 0.6% of tech roles. Multiple factors limit inclusion: a non-inclusive culture, few visible role models, inflexible workplaces, stereotypes about who works in tech, and unconscious bias. The Lovelace report estimates 40,000–60,000 women leave digital roles annually, with 25% citing lack of advancement opportunities. The issue affects every career stage and is systemic. Industry decision-makers and DEI experts advocate changing career pathways and earlier interventions to broaden participation.

Read at ComputerWeekly.com