Keeping women in tech matters more than recruiting them

Until progression, culture and flexibility improve, taskforces risk diagnosing a problem everyone already understands

Sir,

The government’s decision to establish a Women in Tech taskforce should be met with cautious approval. Anyone who has spent time in the sector knows the imbalance is real, and the figures cited in your article (‘UK government sets-up women in tech taskforce amid gender imbalance’) merely put a cost on what has long been obvious in practice.

Speaking from experience, the problem is not simply getting women into technology roles – which is hard enough – but keeping them there once they arrive. Too many capable people leave because progression stalls, workplace cultures remain hostile, or flexibility disappears at precisely the life stages when it matters most.

A taskforce will not fix that on its own. But if it forces boards and senior managers to confront why women continue to drop out mid-career, it will have served a purpose. The real test will be whether industry listens once the recommendations are published, or whether this becomes another well-meaning report that changes very little.

Yours faithfully,
Sarah Whitcombe
Cambridge, UK