Want to get ahead in AI as a woman? This new report has lots of advice

It’s undeniable that it’s a particularly hard time to be a woman in tech.

While the mass layoffs experienced in 2023 have steadied somewhat—according to tech layoff tracker Layoffs.fyi, 490 tech companies have made 143,142 workers redundant in 2024 compared to 1,193 tech companies making 264,220 employees redundant in 2023—women are still vastly underrepresented in the sector.

According to a new report by KPMG, women make up just over a third of the data and analytics (D&A) and artificial intelligence (AI) workforce. Despite more people graduating university with a STEM-related degree in 2024 compared to 2012, the amount of women graduating with a STEM-related degree has declined by 8%.

• Software Engineering Manager, 1&1 Mail & Media, Munich
• Head of Objectives and Strategies, Berliner Wasserbetriebe, Berlin
• Senior Verification Architect, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Munich
• Technical Contract Manager Turbine Technology and Heat Exchangers, BEW Berliner Energie und Wärme AG, Berlin
• Global Account Manager, Arrow Electronics, Inc., Germany

Drilling down into the data, it’s clear that the problem isn’t just about gender parity but representation of women in senior roles.

KPMG’s report also highlights that the gender gap is more pronounced at senior levels, despite new roles being created in tandem with advances in AI and analytics, and the need for workers skilled in these fields growing at a rapid rate.

And the growing divide has picked up pace post-Covid with women’s representation in tech trending down across all levels in the last 10 years. In 2024, only 29% of senior D&A and AI roles were held by women, compared to 31% in 2008.

One way that organisations can tackle this issue from the ground up is through promoting visible leadership diversity; however, to truly remove the barriers preventing women from excelling in tech, more needs to be done at a grassroots level.

This includes mentorship and building a community of female employees, retaining more women by offering benefits including paid maternity leave, flexible working arrangements and helping women develop their own leadership skills.

“I believe that this study reflects the reality of what women in STEM fields experience. Throughout my career, I realised I worked harder, performed better, was paid less, moved up at a slower pace, and yet I made a conscious decision to keep going,” says Danielle Maurici-Arnone, global chief information and digital officer at personal care brand Combe Incorporated.

“At first, it was a personal challenge I set for myself and then it became a mission to try to make it easier for other women—for my own daughter, to achieve her dreams. I remind myself and tell my female colleagues and friends, ‘we need you, you matter, you are not alone, keep going, and stay passionate’.”

This sense of belonging doesn’t need to happen internally either, and expanding your professional network by reaching out to women who hold senior leadership positions in other companies is a great way to not only connect, but reinforce a sense of community.

“For many women leaders in data and AI, we are sometimes one of the only women in the room. Even outside the boardroom we can struggle to build and maintain a strong peer network and the community that we need to turn to for guidance, wisdom, and support,” says Nancy Morgan, CEO of Ellis Morgan Enterprises.

“If other women do not see women represented at every level of leadership, they may perceive that these roles are not for them or that they somehow do not ‘belong.’ Women need to find a community, in their organisation and/or externally, who can support them as they try out ideas, learn to make bold moves, and create a vibrant network of support.”

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