UK government sets up Women in Tech taskforce amid gender imbalance concerns

The Technology Secretary has established a Women in Tech taskforce after government research estimated the economy loses up to £3.5bn a year as women leave the sector

The UK government has established a ‘Women in Tech’ taskforce to examine barriers facing women in the UK technology sector and to advise ministers on measures to improve recruitment, retention and progression.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said the taskforce was launched after research indicated the UK economy loses between £2bn and £3.5bn annually as women leave technology roles or move out of the sector.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall convened the first meeting of the taskforce on 15 December at the British Science Association. The group brings together senior figures from industry, academia, trade bodies and unions to advise government on policy and industry practice.

Government data cited by the department shows men outnumber women by four to one in computer science degrees. Women are also less likely to enter the technology workforce, remain in the sector or progress into senior roles. 

A 2023 study by the Fawcett Society found that one in five men working in technology believed women were inherently less suited to such roles.

Kendall said: “Technology should work for everyone, that is why I have established the Women in Tech Taskforce, to break down the barriers that still hold too many people back, and to partner with industry on practical solutions that make a real difference.”

Anne-Marie Imafidon, founder of STEMETTES, has been appointed Women in Tech Envoy and will co-lead the taskforce alongside the Secretary of State.

The department said the taskforce would focus on identifying obstacles to education, training and career progression, and on developing recommendations that could be implemented jointly by government and industry. 

Its work will sit alongside existing government initiatives aimed at developing digital skills, including reforms to the national curriculum and the TechFirst programme.

The taskforce’s founding members include executives from BT Group and Revolut UK, representatives from techUK, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Trades Union Congress, as well as leaders from technology education and inclusion organisations.

READ MORE: ‘Women turning to entrepreneurship to fight age bias at work, study shows‘. A new European study suggests older women are rewriting the rules of work — turning to entrepreneurship not out of necessity, but as a route to independence, confidence and control in a job market that often sidelines experience.

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