Over 7 in 10 (72%) UK women in tech roles have experienced at least one form of sexism at work, with three in four Black women and minoritized women also reporting workplace racism.
The findings come from a new report, System Update: Addressing the Gender Gap in Tech, by the Fawcett Society and sponsored by Virgin Media O2.
The researchers surveyed 1438 people, including men and women, and had in-depth conversations with 21 women who currently work in a tech role, have left tech, or work outside of tech.
Three In Four Black Women: Sexism And Racism
The most commonly cited form of sexism was being paid less than their male colleagues for a similar role – reported by 22% of women working in tech roles.
Over a fifth (22%) said sexism was described as banter, and 20% said the questioning of their skills and abilities was among the top forms of sexist behavior they endured in the sector.
Black and minority group women, in particular, experienced additional levels of exclusion, with the majority (72%) facing racism at work.
They reported unwanted jokes or ‘banter’ (31%) and comments related to their race or cultural background (24%), as well as the use of racial slurs (12%) and other forms of racial microaggressions and discrimination (24%).
A third of Black women in the sector claimed to have been assumed by colleagues not to hold a technical role.
Despite Black and minority women being more interested in working in tech roles than their white counterparts (59% compared to 31%), they were more likely to report biased and unfair recruitment practices.
These include condescension at an interview and unexplained rejections.
The survey also found that 73% of disabled women experienced ableism at work.
“This report rings alarm bells for a sector that prides itself on being future-facing,” said Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society.
“Yet again, our research shows things are even worse for Black and minoritized women who experience the compounded effects of sexism and racism.
Read: 2 in 5 Black Women Have Left A Job Due To Feeling Unsafe, Finds Report
DEI Initiatives as performative
The survey also highlighted how women in tech feel about the progress being made in the sector.
Some women spoke of slow progress, and others cited companies’ diverse cultures as just performative.
Women also disagreed about the term “women in tech” as some thought it fostered community, but others found it “othering.”
Lastly, the figures rose for Black women who have found themselves being blamed for male colleagues’ mistakes and were perceived as diversity hires only.
“We need urgent action to bring in a system update and create workplaces that truly respect and accommodate women in all our diversity,” said Olchawski.
Calls For Change
Fawcett Society compiled a list of changes needed to make the tech industry more inclusive for women by calling on businesses, government, and schools to work together.
These included reducing bias at the application stage and setting targets to improve the representation of women and underrepresented groups.
Additionally, developing anti-racism and misogyny action plans, including monitoring which complaints are upheld and supporting employees affected by workplace discrimination.
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