Percentage of women in tech has largely stagnated for 20 years – this must change
of the Canadian work force. And yet, one type of work has been particularly impervious to this trend: tech. Twenty years ago, in 2001, 21 per cent of tech workers across Canada were women. Now, in 2023, the number has only increased to 24 per cent.
What’s surprising is not the fact that people aren’t talking about it. In fact, efforts to increase the participation of women in tech have been around for decades, and between 2010 and 2018 the number of women graduating with a STEM degree. Despite these efforts, little progress has been seen in the labour market. That disconnect should be surprising.
A common way many in tech have rationalized the dearth of women in tech is to lean in on the idea of “preferences” – maybe women just aren’t interested in pursuing technical careers, preferring more “emotional” work. I actually do think women consider preferences in choosing a career, but not because of any inherent gender differences. Women choose to not work in tech for practical reasons.
Imagine for a moment that you are considering two equally rewarding career paths. You know that if you choose the first one you’re going to be valued, paid appropriately and not have to deal with harassment. If you choose the other one, you know you’re going to be harassed, have your abilities doubted and have to struggle to get ahead. You’re obviously more likely to choose the path where you will be valued.
This is the exact “choice” many women who are thinking about a career in tech face. And these dynamics start early. A 2019shows that more than 20 per cent of women who start a STEM degree switch to a non-STEM degree before graduating, a rate twice that of men. In fact, according to my calculations from the 2021 census, while almost 30 per cent of men who graduated with STEM degrees are now in a tech occupation, only 15 per cent of women with STEM degrees became tech workers.
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