Women believe tech sector is male-dominated, survey finds

A lack of role models, education and training opportunities are the key obstacles to more Irish women taking up roles in the tech sector, a new survey has found.

The research, conducted by Kantar for meal kit company Hello Fresh, found 42 per cent of Irish women are unlikely to pursue a career in the tech industry, and more than three-quarters believe it is a male-dominated industry, compared to 61 per cent of men who viewed it that way.

One-fifth of young women said they felt their gender put them at a disadvantage and discouraged them from pursuing a tech career. More than half felt their current skillset was not suitable for the industry, and more than one-third said they did not know how to enter the industry.

Access to training

However, the inclusion of more female leaders, scholarships and active role models could fuel diversity in the sector, the survey found. Just under 60 per cent said they would like to see more women in tech leadership roles, while half of the respondents felt access to training and scholarships would help them enter the sector. Some 37 per cent said support to build skills would help them pursue a tech-focused career.

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“I’m not hugely surprised by the findings of this survey, with many women who have pursued tech having already faced these challenges,” said Annie Meininghaus, senior vice-president of product at Hello Fresh. “I enjoy being part of a company that recognises these struggles and actively supports women pursuing careers in technology. I’m looking forward to welcoming our next cohort of Women in Tech scholarship recipients, and further increasing the diversity in the tech sector.”

The survey for Hello Fresh, which recently launched in Ireland, included 1,000 young people in Ireland between the ages of 16 and 27, questioning them on how they perceive a career in the tech industry.

Mentoring and finance

The company has established a Women in Tech scholarship programme, now in its second year, that includes mentoring and financial support for participants and is designed to encourage more female participation in the tech sector.

Under the programme, Hello Fresh hired six interns for six months as front-end engineers or data analysts in September 2022, mentored by women working in tech at Hello Fresh. Those without a background in tech could qualify through boot camps located in Berlin but open to all nationalities. The €10,000 scholarship supports expenses and a monthly internship salary. The company has already doubled the number of participants on the programme previously, but as yet has not decided on figures for 2023.