The report highlights the declining representation of women in tech roles, dropping from 35% in 1984 to 32% today, with women leaving these positions at a significantly higher rate than men. It outlines strategies for cultivating a more inclusive tech culture to improve retention and increase women's participation, emphasizing bold leadership, empowering environments, and the importance of diversity. The research suggests that implementing these cultural shifts can potentially attract nearly 3 million women to tech by 2030.

1. RESETTING
TECHCULTURE
5strategiestokeepwomenintech
A research report
produced jointlyby

2. THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN TECH
ROLES HAS DECLINED OVER THE
PAST 35 YEARS
CULTURE RESET | 2
20%
compared to
in other types of jobs
Women have fallen further
behind in the fields of technology,
engineering and mathematics,
at the very moment when tech
roles are surging and vital to the
US economy and its continued
leadership around the globe.
And half of young women who go
into tech drop out by the age of 35.1
of women who
take a tech role
drop it by the age
of 35
50%
1 Glass, J.L., Sassler, S., Levitte, Y., & Michelmore, K.M. (2013). What’s so
special about STEM? A comparison of women’s retention in STEM and
professional occupations. Social Forces, 92(2), 723-756. via
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4279242/

3. TWO STEPS BACK?
• 35% of women tech workers in 1984 vs 32% today.2
• Just 16% of engineering roles and only 27% of
computing roles are held by women in the US.3
• Women leave tech roles at a 45% higher rate
than men.4
• Fewer than 1 out of 5 CIOs or CTOs are women
in the largest 1,000 companies.5
CULTURE RESET | 3
In spite of the efforts made encouraging girls and
women to pursue technology careers, the gender
imbalance is greater than it was 35 years ago*.
35%of women tech
workers in 1984
32%today
VS
2 Accenture Analysis of ASEC, IPUMS CPS data
3 BLS (2019); NCWIT (2019)
4 http://www.talentinnovation.org/publication.cfm?publication=1420 via
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/02/28/why-women-leave-the-tech-
industry-at-a-45-higher-rate-than-men/#55b9a27e4216
5 https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-women-are-making-it-to-the-cio-level-
11556052828

4. CULTURE RESET | 4
LEADERSHIP
DEFINES
CULTUREAND
BOUNDARIES
Britney, Blockchain Partnerships
and Investments Lead, Tech Mentor,
Speaker and Influencer

5. CURRENTLANDSCAPEFORWOMENWHO
WANTTO PURSUEACAREERINTECHNOLOGY
CULTURE RESET | 5
Leadership
Women are 2.5x
more likely to drop
tech roles than other
roles before 35.
Women represent
only 18% of
CIO/CTOs.8
Workplace
Percentage of
women in tech
roles has dropped
from 35% in 1984
to 32% in 2018.7
College
Only 25% of tech
graduates are
women, with a drop
rate of 37% for tech
classes vs. 30% for
other programs.6
6 https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018434.pdf
7 Glass, J.L., Sassler, S., Levitte, Y., & Michelmore, K.M. (2013). What’s so special about STEM? A
comparison of women’s retention in STEM and professional occupations. Social Forces, 92(2), 723-756.
via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4279242/
8 https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-women-are-making-it-to-the-cio-level-11556052828

6. Tenley & Jasmin —
Senior Tech Analysts
CULTURE RESET | 6
Tech needs women.
To attract and retain
them, tech culture
needs to change.
Our joint research with
Girls Who Code shows us
five steps that could help
us reach almost 3 million
women working in tech
in 2030.

7. WHAT MAKES A WORKPLACE
CULTURE “INCLUSIVE”?
CULTURE RESET | 7
Thecultural
factorsthathelp
womenthriveinthe
techworkplace
Bold leadership
A diverse leadership team that provides
role models and publishes targets
Comprehensive action
Policies and practices designed
to level the playing field
Empowering environment
Respect:
Employees are treated like humans; diversity
and individuality actively encouraged
Autonomy:
Employees are given flexibility and control
over how, when and where they work

8. CULTURE RESET | 8
Mary, Managing Director, Tech
Innovation, BOD for Women Who
Code, Speaker, Advocate and Mentor
WENEEDTO
SUPPORT
DIVERSITYOF
THOUGHTAND
EXPERIENCE
CULTURE RESET | 8

9. INCLUSIVE COLLEGE CULTURES KEEP
WOMEN INTERESTED IN TECH CAREERS
We estimate that 37% of women switch away from tech majors, compared with 30% on average across all
degrees.9 The upshot is that just one in four tech graduates in the US today are women.10
CULTURE RESET | 9
9 https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018434.pdf
10 Accenture Analysis of US National Centre for Education Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics tables
In more-inclusive
college cultures
In less-inclusive
college cultures

10. MORE-INCLUSIVE CULTURES HELP
WOMEN THRIVE IN THE WORKPLACE
Women leave tech for various reasons, but poor company cultureaccounts for 37%—making it the
number one reason. When asked how companies could attract more people like them into tech roles,
51% of women identified workplace culture and support, alongside more role models (52%).
CULTURE RESET | 10
In more-inclusive
workplace cultures
In less-inclusive
workplace cultures

11. CULTURE RESET | 11
AWOMAN
INTHEROOM
MEANSTHAT
THEPATH
HASALREADY
BEENCARVED
Esra, Product Innovations in Tech

12. A DIVERSE WORLD NEEDS TECH
MADE BY DIVERSE PEOPLE
• Among women of color at less-inclusive colleges in our survey, for instance,
55% found classes “inspiring,” versus 67% of other women.
• Women of color in college tech programs are more likely to participate in
women’s networks than other women in tech at the same school (63% vs.
50%), an indication that they are seeking out support that is otherwise
missing.
• LBT women in more-inclusive cultures (85%) are more than four times as likely
to describe the workplace environment as “empowering,” compared with their
peers in less-inclusive organizations (20%).
CULTURE RESET | 12
Not every woman has the same experience; race and
sexuality can have intersectional effects both at college
level and workplace.

13. WOMEN MUCH MORE LIKELY TO ADVANCE
IN MORE-INCLUSIVE COMPANIES
25%
34%
45%
28%
35%
45%
40%
42%
46%
LEAST INCLUSIVE AVERAGE MOST INCLUSIVE
WOMEN OF COLOUR WOMEN MEN
+ 61%
+15%
+ 77%PROBABILITY OF ADVANCING
Increased likelihood of an
employee advancing to manager
level in more- vs. less-inclusive
workplace cultures
Copyright @ 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved.
WOMEN OF COLOR
Note: Numbers in chart have been rounded to zero decimal places.

14. CULTURE RESET | 14
WEAREMAKING
PRODUCTSTHAT
ARESUITED
TOEVERYONEIN
THEWORLD
Rumman, Responsible AI Lead. PH.D.,
Data Scientist, S.F. Business Times
“40 Under 40”

15. BETTER WORKPLACE CULTURE
BOOSTS RETENTION RATE OF WOMEN
If all organizations were as inclusive as the top 20% - and adopted just five
cultural practices - it could help retain 1.4 million women in tech by 2030.
Potentialincreasein
numberofwomenin
techby2030
CULTURE RESET | 15

16. CULTURE RESET | 16
TOP FIVE ACTION PLAN TIPS FOR
RETAINING WOMAN IN TECH:
Let both
parents' parent
Make sure women
and men are
encouraged to take
leave and be sure
they see senior
leaders doing the
same thing.
Make senior role
models a metric
Companies should set
targets/goals for
diversity in the
leadership team.
Moreover, these
should be published
publicly to hold
leaders accountable.
Send women-specific
reinforcements
Providing women with
targeted workplace support
such as mentors, sponsors
and employee resource
networks helps compensate
for an uneven playing field.
Encode creativity
& innovation
Environments in which
employees are rewarded
for creativity and
innovation
(which we define as
creating new markets,
experiences, products,
services, content or
processes) would appeal
to many women.
Meet on
their terms
Opportunities to network
with colleagues and
senior leaders should be
scheduled at more
inclusive times. For
example, planning
events during working
hours ensures that
employees with
after-work commitments
can attend.

17. Read the full report at:
www.accenture.com/
techculturereset
A research report
produced jointlyby