When tech trailblazer Ann Moffatt first joined the IT industry in 1959, there wasn’t a gender divide to speak of.

“There were as many women programmers as men,” she recalled.

However, things changed rapidly when men started to see technology as a real career.

“They sort of pushed the women down, so that the women ended up with fairly menial jobs.”

While times have changed, Australia’s tech sector is still significantly male-dominated.

Women make up just 30 per cent of the country’s IT workforce and remain massively underrepresented in senior and executive roles.

Not only has this earned the sector a reputation for being a ‘boys’ club’ — a place where women aren’t welcome and can’t succeed — it has also led to decades of policies, programs, initiatives and public calls to get more women into tech.

But with so little to show for our gender equity efforts, is it time to admit defeat?

Could it be, as LNP MP Terry Young recently claimed, women are simply drawn to different types of jobs, preferring to become nurses and hairdressers over pursuing STEM professions?

And, ultimately, do we even need women in tech?

Why is tech still a boy's club? Photo: Shutterstock

Do women actually want tech careers?

When we talk about gender in the workplace, it’s not uncommon to hear the familiar refrain that women simply prefer other careers.

“That narrative is definitely outdated,” said Iyari Cevallos, chair of Women in Technology.

Girls and women don’t just demonstrate an equal ability for STEM subjects, she explained, but also an equal passion.

So, if it’s not down to interest or capability, why are so few women entering tech?

Well, let’s imagine a schoolgirl who has a real interest in IT.

In year eight or nine, chances are she’s achieving the same or higher grades in STEM and ICT as the boys in her grade.

Despite this, findings from a CSIRO research report suggest around half of her peers — boys and girls alike — believe boys are better suited to technology-related careers.

Young girls achieve the same or better STEM grades than boys in early high school. Photo: Shutterstock

“Attitudes about what type of person you are — whether you like or are good at technology — can really stop young women trying to engage in the subject,” said Dr Sarah Buckley, senior research fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research and report co-author.

“For example, our research brought up comments like ‘girls aren’t gamers’, ‘it doesn’t come as naturally to us’.”

As she continues her education, our schoolgirl might notice a distinct lack of other women in tech spaces, including among her peers, her teachers, and in the media.

“At school and at university, a key barrier for young women engaging with digital technology was a lack of female role models,” Buckley explained.

If our schoolgirl decides to continue her IT studies into year 12, the boys in her class will outnumber the girls by nearly three to one.

At university, women will account for just 22 per cent of her cohort.

Representation matters, noted Cevallos, because it shows women and girls they can have a future in tech.

Workplace woes

Sadly, the challenges don’t stop at graduation.

Women in IT almost universally earn less than their male colleagues and are far less likely to advance beyond mid-career due to caretaking responsibilities, even despite recent advances in workplace flexibility.

But that’s not all.

“Many STEM fields, especially tech, do still have a reputation for being a boys’ club,” said Dr Deborah Devis, researcher in complex social systems and learning science from Adelaide University.

“Even when women are in these jobs, they experience sexist remarks, being overlooked for promotions, harassment, and unpaid work burdens.”

The challenges for women don't stop at graduation. Photo: Shutterstock

So, it’s hardly surprising many are opting out of the sector before the age of 35.

In more male-dominated areas of tech, the impact is even worse.

In cyber security, where men make up over 80 per cent of the workforce, women leave after just four years.

So, when it comes to careers in IT, Cevallos said it’s clear ability and interest aren’t the issue.

“It's systemic barriers, unconscious bias and a lack of physical pathways that discourage women from entering or staying in tech.”

Women in tech – who needs ‘em?

The facts and figures paint a dim outlook for the future of women in tech, but why does it matter?

Isn’t gender parity simply a ‘nice-to-have’?

In fact, increasing the number of women in Australia’s IT sector is the best chance we have to address the looming talent gap, according to research by Deloitte and RMIT.

ACS’s Digital Pulse 2025 report found our tech sector requires a massive 230,000 more workers by 2030 to meet demand.

Without a robust and skilled IT workforce, Australian companies will struggle to remain competitive at home and abroad, and could even risk losing out on $25 billion worth of potential economic gains.

What’s more, increasing diversity can offer significant benefits to productivity and profits.

“Gender equity and diversity are a huge focus in STEM right now because diversity drives innovation,” Devis said.

Diverse teams demonstrate 10 times more innovation and eight times more collaboration, as well as increased employee wellbeing and reduced staff turnover, all of which can make a big impact on a bottom line.

And the benefits don’t stop there.

“If you can get that at a team level, then you can also get that at a leadership level, which then correlates to your improved financial performance,” said Cevallos.

ACS Fellow Ann Moffat says things are shifting extremely slowly. Photo: Supplied

Research by McKinsey & Company found gender-diverse executive teams have almost a 40% higher chance of financial outperformance than their competitors.

“From an economic perspective, diversity generates money, which is something a lot of companies care about,” Devis shared.

“So, there is both altruistic and economic value to supporting women in STEM.”

An immovable object

While Moffatt agreed things are shifting, she said change is happening “very, very, very slowly.”

Despite consistent effort, the last decade has only seen women increase their share of Australia’s IT workforce by 2 per cent.

But Cevallos said reaching true gender equality requires tackling the problem on many fronts.

In particular, she said we need to focus on embedding inclusive workplace practices, creating visible pathways to leadership, holding organisations accountable, improving early intervention through education and bringing in proactive recruitment, retention and promotion strategies.

Buckley suggested we need to increase representation in the classroom and beyond, and call out media misrepresentations or stereotypes, so girls and young women see IT as a place for them.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” added Moffatt.

But Devis warned solving these issues requires massive change at a systemic level.

"Some things are easier, like creating workplace policies, but others are harder, like changing attitudes or developing inclusive leaders,” she added.

And this means buy-in from everyone, including men.

“It's really difficult for women to break that cycle by themselves,” Cevallos summarised.

“It does need all of us to solve this.”