In the world of technology, women have been making significant contributions for decades, yet they still face hurdles that must be tackled to build a more inclusive industry.
The tech industry is often hailed as the engine under the hood of modern innovation, and rightfully so. It currently powers nearly every aspect of contemporary life, from how we communicate to how we work, shop, bank, travel, and access healthcare. Mobile and software apps, cloud computing, AI, and data-driven platforms are transforming industries at a scale never seen before, creating a high-speed, ever-evolving landscape that many want to participate in and help redefine the boundaries of innovation. These people are the ones who are building and shaping technology; they are architecting the future. Yet, for all its remarkable achievements, the tech sector continues to grapple with some issues of representation and equity, particularly regarding gender.
Despite some strides being made, women in tech still face barriers to entry, growth, and leadership. However, the potential for growth and leadership for women in tech is immense. So, we at Foonkie Monkey want to celebrate the achievements of women in tech and app development while also exploring the importance of addressing ongoing challenges, which is essential to ensure that innovation is inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all.
Current state of women in tech
Despite the undeniable evolution of the tech industry, women remain significantly underrepresented, and gender disparity seems to remain a persistent issue. Globally, women represent only 28% of the workforce in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, with an even smaller 15% in technical roles such as software engineering, data science, and app development. What’s more concerning is the fact that women in the tech industry earn around 84 cents for every dollar men earn, which makes the pay gap a concern and is likely one of the reasons why 56% of women leave tech mid-career.
Women’s representation in the tech sector tends to decline at higher levels, with only 24.4% of women in STEM holding managerial roles and an even lower 12.2% who advance to C-suite positions, a number that highlights a significant leadership gap. Furthermore, in startup ecosystems, the gender gap gets even more stark, with female tech founders receiving less than 2% of venture capital funding globally, creating significant hurdles in scaling their app-based innovations.
Challenges faced by women in tech
Addressing the imbalances mentioned above is critical, but women in tech still face many more systemic barriers that limit opportunity and career advancement. Here are the main ones.
- Underrepresentation
As mentioned earlier, despite the surge in tech-related careers, such as app development, women only make up a small percentage of software development roles. Female representation is even lower in leadership roles. This disparity is particularly stark in C-suite positions such as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or engineering director, with the representation of women in these roles hovering at less than 15% in most tech companies. What’s more, minority women tend to experience even greater challenges, facing not only gender bias but also racial and cultural barriers, with Black and Latina women representing less than 5% of the tech workforce, a number that dwindles even further in leadership or technical decision-making positions.
Addressing the clear underrepresentation of women in tech is critical not just to ensure equality but for the long-term success and sustainability of the tech industry. Having diversity in tech teams can help push innovation forward, making gender equality in tech essential for creating digital products that serve a global, diverse population.
- Pay and equity gaps
Despite doing the same work, women in tech consistently earn less than their male counterparts. Despite the growing demand for skilled professionals in tech and app development, women continue to face significant compensation and ownership disparities. For instance, in startups and early-stage ventures, women are less likely to receive fair equity, stock options, or meaningful ownership, even when they hold comparable roles to men. In fact, studies show that women make up just 13% of equity-holding startup founders and have significantly less equity on average than men in similar positions.
For app development companies and tech startups, the key to closing these gaps lies in implementing transparent compensation frameworks. These frameworks, coupled with policies that champion fairness in both opportunity and reward, are the tools that can be used to build resilient, high-performing teams that reflect diversity and fairness for all. By understanding and advocating for these frameworks, we can all play a part in creating a more equitable tech industry.
- Workplace Bias
One of the most persistent challenges women face in tech and app development is workplace bias, particularly when it comes to the perceptions of their technical competence or knowledge. Despite having equal qualifications and expertise as their male counterparts, women developers often encounter implicit skepticism about their abilities, decisions, or leadership in technical discussions. This subtle yet pervasive bias can limit growth opportunities and shape work distribution within teams.
Addressing workplace bias is critical to ensure feedback is equitable and growth opportunities are distributed fairly. We should strive to cultivate an inclusive culture where contributions are judged on merit, not gender, which is essential to retain and empower female talent.
- Lack of advancement opportunities
As we’ve highlighted, the underrepresentation of women in senior tech roles, such as CTO or VP, is a pressing issue. Shockingly, only 52 women are promoted to management positions for every 100 men in tech-related fields. These numbers are compounded by the lack of clear career paths supported by mentorship, leadership training, or cross-functional opportunities that men often have. Without someone in the room advocating for promotions, many women struggle to break into leadership roles. This is a situation that demands immediate attention and action.
In the tech world, where agility, cross-functional collaboration, and user-centered innovation are essential, diverse leadership is not a luxury but a necessity. So, to encourage talented women in tech to advance, companies must invest in intentional leadership pipelines, implement structured sponsorship and mentorship programs for female workers, and establish inclusive career development systems that provide clear paths for growth.
Celebrating notable women in app development
Despite the evident challenges women face in tech, there have been many female leaders carrying the torch for innovation across the mobile and software development landscape:
Whitney Wolfe Herd: She is the founder and CEO of Bumble. Herd undeniable disrupted the digital landscape by building a social media platform that empowered women to control the conversation, setting a new standard for online interactions.
Tracy Chou: Tracy is a highly influential engineer who has worked on some of the most prominent apps in the digital landscape. She has worked on Pinterest and Quora and has become a voice advocating diversity and transparency in tech-based workplaces.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Kiran is the founder of Biocon Limited, one of Asia’s leading biopharmaceutical companies. She has driven investments into healthcare apps that helped improve medical accessibility across developing countries.
Judith Faulkner: She is the CEO and founder of Epic Systems Corporation, a leading healthcare software company that millions rely on today for healthcare management.
Conclusion
Women are not just passive participants in the tech industry; they are innovators and leaders shaping the future of technology. Their work has the infinite potential to power how the world connects and communicates and how industries deliver services, solve problems, and envision the future. However, while their achievements are undeniable and continue to break new ground, women in tech face systemic barriers that hinder their roles as innovators and fail to offer them equitable participation and advancement. Strides have been made, but challenges remain and must be tackled and actively recognized in order to foster a tech ecosystem that is truly inclusive, forward-thinking, and representative of the users it serves.
At Foonkie Monkey, we don’t just lead in app development—we lead with people. Our diverse team includes talented women developers and designers who play a vital role in building secure, innovative mobile solutions. We believe that inclusive teams build stronger, safer apps. If you have questions or are ready to future-proof your mobile app’s security, we’re here to help. Let’s talk!
