Why the future of women in tech depends on changing the whole pipeline

The Government’s latest drive to tackle investment bias and workplace culture highlights the barriers women continue to face in technology. For Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, Women in Tech Envoy and Stemettes co-founder, meaningful change must create opportunities for women to enter the sector and lead.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE has spent her career championing a more diverse and balanced future for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Now, as the Government’s Women in Tech Envoy, she continues to help to drive the conversation about what needs to change to make that ambition a reality. The scale of the challenge is clear, women account for just 22% of the UK’s IT workforce, while only 2p of every £1 invested in UK venture capital goes to women-founded businesses. These are not simply representation figures; they point to barriers affecting who gets to enter, progress and build businesses in the technology sector.

A new Government initiative, announced on Budget day 29 October, aims to address those barriers through improved workplace culture, fairer investment practices and greater support for women-led businesses. Imafidon, CEO and co-founder of Stemettes, has highlighted the impact that harassment and discrimination continue to have on women working in tech. Responding to the announcement, she said: “Too many women have told us about facing misconduct like harassment and discrimination in tech. That is unacceptable and a key driver of poor participation in the sector.” She added that the initiative was about working with industry to create “a future that works for everyone”, with the cultural change women and their allies have long been calling for.

The economic case for change

The Government estimates that enabling women to found and grow businesses at the same rate as men could unlock £310 billion for the UK economy. It also says closing participation gaps could add £4 billion a year to UK GDP. The figures underline why improving women’s access to careers in tech and investment is an economic priority as well as an issue of equality. The Government’s recent call for evidence found that 74% of respondents believe better workplace culture would support women’s progression and leadership in tech. In response to this, government and industry will work together on two voluntary standards: the Tech Forward Standard, focused on workplace culture, and the Inclusive Investment Standard, aimed at improving investment practices.

The proposed workplace standard could include trusted routes for reporting harassment, helping workers feel safer raising concerns. The investment standard could encourage wider deal-sourcing channels and better tracking of women-led businesses through the funding process. Both will be developed with industry, investors and the Women in Tech Taskforce ahead of their formal launch.

Why education and skills must be part of the conversation

For further education and skills providers, the announcement raises an important question: how can more women access the opportunities to develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to build careers in technology? The challenge extends beyond getting women through the door, it includes supporting career progression, enabling career changes and returners and ensuring that women have opportunities to move into leadership and entrepreneurship. This is particularly relevant as technology continues to create opportunities across areas such as artificial intelligence and cyber security. The Government’s TechFirst Women’s Programme will support 300 women across the UK through mentoring, skills development and matching with live vacancies, with the aim of securing paid roles lasting at least six months by March 2027. A separate TechFirst Girls Competition will give girls across the UK the opportunity to build technology skills and confidence and explore what a future career in the sector could look like.

These initiatives reflect the importance of supporting women at different stages of their education and career journeys; from early engagement with technology through to employment and progression. This focus is closely aligned with Dr Imafidon’s work through Stemettes. Since co-founding the organisation, she has helped expose more than 70,000 young people across Europe to a vision of a more diverse and balanced STEM community.

Turning commitments into lasting change

The Government’s plans also include a new scale-up women’s programme, due to launch in 2027. It will support founders of high-potential, high-growth UK businesses, with potential support including workshops, peer learning, networking and introductions to investors. Major organisations, including BT, Revolut, Sage, Balderton Capital and Octopus Ventures, are among those expected to help shape the new standards. For Dr Anne-Marie, the announcement represents an opportunity to turn long-standing calls for change into action; 74% support for better workplace culture identified in the Government’s call for evidence provides “a clear mandate” to work with industry and make tech somewhere women “stay, thrive and lead”.

That ambition matters well beyond the technology sector itself. Education and training, employers, investors and industry all have a role in ensuring that women can access opportunities, develop their skills and build sustainable careers. The £310 billion economic opportunity is significant but real progress will be measured not only in economic growth, investment or workforce statistics. It will be seen in whether more women can enter technology, remain in the sector, progress into leadership and build businesses with the support they need.

The next step is making sure the commitments translate into meaningful change.