In the mobile app industry, women continue to be underrepresented. Despite women making up approximately half of the global workforce, they only occupy around 20% of technical roles in the technology industry.

How many are there? The numbers reveal how many women work in technology.

By 2020, only 5% of the incoming resumes were from women, and in 2022, this percentage reached 45%.

Only 1 in 5 people working in the technology industry today is a woman, according to Women In Tech. Additionally, women constitute the majority of the workforce in the marketing industry, and at the senior leadership level, female representation is likely at its highest point.

Companies in the technology sector with more women in high-ranking and executive positions have a 15% higher likelihood of achieving better results and outstanding financial benefits, such as high ROI indices. Moreover, having executive teams with greater diversity increases the chances of achieving superior profitability by 33%, according to McKinsey 2022 data.

According to the Women in Tech Network organization, it will take approximately 133 years to close the gender gap in economic terms, meaning until the year 2154 if the current pace of reducing the gender gap is maintained. This figure is similar to that projected by the World Economic Forum, estimating that it will take 151 years to achieve gender equality in the workplace.

In the face of this situation, changing the mindset of technology companies regarding hiring and talent reserves will be crucial to boost female representation, says Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code.

Closing the gender gap will likely require addressing challenges related to retention and equitable promotion. Research indicates that approximately half of women in the industry leave tech employment midway through their careers, and women occupy less than a quarter of senior leadership positions in the industry. 

The achievements of women in technology

Several major technology companies have adopted a remote work model, while others have opted for a hybrid of office and home-based work. Beyond increasing flexibility between work and personal life, "work from anywhere" models expand the pool of available exceptional and diverse talents nationally and even globally, not just limited to commuting distance from the office.

More flexible work arrangements also facilitate a balance between professional and personal life. Fortunately, women in the technology industry are making progress, but they face new challenges. The most well-known challenges are related to the educational process, recruitment and hiring, retention, compensation, and promotion, aiming to achieve equitable female representation.

Efforts to promote gender equality need further deepening and sustained investment in women's development, as well as the deconstruction of notions surrounding the technology industry.

The challenges of technology companies

One of the greatest challenges for women in technology companies is the need to demonstrate that they possess the skills to create successful projects and workspaces.

To achieve this change in the gender gap, internal drive and external support must be combined.

It is necessary to create spaces for the talents and skills of women in the industry to thrive. According to the Global Gender Gap, the technology sector still has a deficit of women, with representation at only 14% in Cloud Computing, 32% in Data, and 20% in Artificial Intelligence.

Fortunately, several industries are leading the way in closing the gender gap. In the latest edition of the LITA - Latam Inclusive Tech Awards, highlights organizations operating in Latin America and contributing through various programs and actions to reduce and eliminate the gender gap in technology.

• Globant, to promote and support the professional development of women in technology, joined forces with Laboratoria. Together, they empower women in technologies demanded by the market, providing them with the necessary tools to thrive in the industry. Additionally, they offer support through community-building initiatives among women.
  
  
• Santander, on the other hand, is a company that has developed the Women in Tech (WIT) initiative since 2021. This program is part of the hiring plan "Be Tech! with Santander." The initiative aims to promote female talent in technology teams and ensures their access to various managerial positions.
  
  It's noteworthy that despite its relatively short existence, WIT is recognized as an example in the fight for gender equality. The initiative engages in year-round activities, including events, talks, and communication actions.
  
  
• Samsung, on its part, aims to lead by example and advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of all women in the workplace. Through Women in Technology at Samsung (WITS), the company invests in ensuring that its staff is not only prepared for success but also for growth and prosperity within the organization.
  
  For instance, on the UN International Women's Day on March 8th, Samsung provides a platform for its employees, demonstrating how a company can embrace equity both internally and externally
  
  Within the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that the tech giant possesses, the large-scale women's ERGs execute programs for networking and professional development of executives and employees, striving to strengthen women's capabilities in the workplace.