Gender disparities in the tech industry have been a hot-button issue — there are articles, studies, and discussions focused on gender equality. Software engineering is a great industry for women because of its high compensation rates, good hours, and advancement opportunities, but being a female software engineer may present more challenges than being a male software engineer. Let’s explore some of those challenges as well as tips to overcome them.

Women in Software Engineering: The Landscape

Historically, white men have made up the majority of software engineers. Even with more awareness around diversity in software engineering, this is still true for the most part today. The percentage of women in software engineering roles has been growing, but this number still doesn’t illustrate equal representation.

A 2022 global survey of software engineers found that men made up 91.88% of the field — only 5.17% of those polled identified as women. And in the United States, only 22% of software engineers are women.

These numbers are even lower among Black women and Hispanic/Latinx women. According to the National Centre for Women & Information Technology, Black women make up only 3% of the entire female workforce in technology. And a 2015 study found that Hispanic/Latinx women only make up 2% of the software development workforce.

Challenges of Being a Woman in Tech

There are many benefits of a career in software engineering for both men and women, including advancement opportunities, work-life balance, and high salaries for software engineers. But there are several challenges of being a woman in tech that men don’t have to face.

1. Lacking Mentors/Role Models

Like in any position, a mentor or role model can be a source of guidance, encouragement, and opportunity. Unfortunately, men can usually easily find a male mentor, while this isn’t such an easy take for women. This is mostly due to the small percentage of female software engineers already in the field.

Stanford University’s Department of Computer Science conducted research on the topic of why fewer women chose to major in Computer Science, and they found that a lack of role models was a major factor.

2. Facing Gender Bias

Many women in software engineering have to fight the false assumption that they lack the interest or aptitude for technical work. The feeling can be compared to having to swim upstream to be viewed as equally skilled as their male counterparts.

A 2017 study found that gender bias is prevalent in the tech industry. When asked if they’d ever encountered gender bias on the job, just 8% of respondents said they hadn’t. Discrimination can manifest itself in a number of ways, including being ignored in meetings, having one’s idea ignored, or being passed over for promotions for no apparent reason. In the poll, 27% claimed they often or always feel gender bias.”

3. Unequal Pay/Growth Opportunities

Even when education