techUK Women Forum

techUK’s Women Forum serves as a network dedicated to supporting women at every stage of their tech careers - helping them to start, stay and thrive in the tech sector.

Through the Forum, we will use the voices of our members, along with our convening power and interface, to drive collaboration between UK Government and industry in enabling inclusivity in the tech sector.

Logistics:

• Composition: The Forum is made up of a diverse pool of women from across the tech ecosystem – representing those early in their careers through to founders and leaders.
• Meetings: The Forum will meet quarterly with the ability to also meet on an ad hoc basis.
• Getting involved: Members can sign up to the Forum below to receive regular updates, news and opportunities and be a part of our wider Women in Tech network.

Purpose:

Through meaningful discussion and collaborative action with techUK and our members, the Forum focuses on:

• Amplifying and raising awareness: spotlight and champion initiatives across our network to advance women in the tech ecosystem.
• Driving policy change: feed in policy insight to actively engage with UK Government stakeholders and shape policy that supports women in tech.
• Collaboration: facilitate networking and peer-learning opportunities through techUK events, strategic partnerships, and cross-sector collaborations.

Context:

Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of digital growth. The tech sector understands that innovation thrives from diversity of thought and is continually looking to attract, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. As part of our continued work, the techUK Women Forum helps women start, thrive, and remain in tech – addressing a key economic opportunity for the UK Government.

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Start - 

Female founders are at a record high, yet women remain underrepresented within the UK entrepreneurial landscape. In 2023, women made up just 18% of new businesses and secured less than 3% of VC funding in the UK. This disparity limits innovation and economic growth, as evidence suggests the UK economy could gain up to £250 billion if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men.

To achieve this, addressing barriers such as gender bias in investment, limited financial education, as well as improving awareness of networking opportunities is essential to empower more women to start and scale tech businesses.

Thrive –

Just 14% of global tech leaders are women, and only 26% of the UK tech workforce is female. Increasing female representation ensures diverse perspectives that drive innovation and create more inclusive, equitable workplaces. When women feel valued and supported, research shows that they contribute more, inspire others, and lead positive change.

Closing the gender pay gap, offering clear career progression paths, and investing in women-led start-ups and SMEs are all critical in ensuring women not only enter careers in tech, but also thrive and lead within it.

Stay –

Each year, between 40,000 and 60,000 women leave tech roles, driven by challenges like bias, unequal opportunities, and lack of support. As women face higher unemployment rates than men in the tech sector, this persistent attrition limits the number of female leaders and role models, making it harder to inspire and retain valuable female talent in the industry.

Addressing retention requires tackling these workplace barriers to create environments where women want to stay, grow, and lead.

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To get involved in techUK’s Women Forum, click the link below or reach out directly to Mia or Tess:

 

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