Women Boost Tech, Construction Roles Amid Leadership Gaps, Bias Challenges

Women in traditionally male-dominated industries like carpentry and technology continue to break barriers despite persistent challenges such as stereotypes, lack of mentorship, and limited senior leadership opportunities. Female carpenters Jade McDonald, Lisa Tisor, and Emily Kitchin highlight the lack of incentives and encouragement for women entering trades, while Emily has founded an all-female construction company to foster inclusion. In technology, leaders like Katie Burns emphasize the importance of mentoring and early education, noting an encouraging trend of more women entering tech at junior levels, though senior representation remains low. Reports show that women constitute a small fraction of tech leadership—5% in the UK and 11% in the US—with many lacking access to mentorship and peer networks, which hampers their advancement. Sponsorship, which involves advocates protecting rising female executives, is crucial but challenging, as it can strain sponsors' social capital and credibility, particularly for women sponsors facing backlash. Companies like Danske Bank UK demonstrate progress by increasing female representation to 40% in their tech teams through active recruitment, role modeling, and supporting diverse career pathways, underscoring the need for continued efforts to change perceptions and remove systemic barriers.