Women in tech face rising discrimination, ISACA finds

ISACA has found that 47% of women working in tech have experienced gender discrimination at work, up from 42% in 2024.

The association's 2026 Tech Workplace and Culture survey points to a widening gap between broader awareness of inequality in the sector and women's day-to-day experience at work. Women also reported lower satisfaction than men with workplace culture, job security and career progression.

The research was based on responses from 1,025 people in technology roles worldwide. Nearly two-thirds of women surveyed, 63%, said the sector remains underrepresented by gender, compared with 41% of men.

Influence at work also emerged as a point of difference. Just 53% of women said they had enough authority to contribute to company strategy and direction, compared with 66% of men.

That disparity sits alongside concerns about career development. Unclear career progression was the most commonly cited barrier to advancement overall, identified by 34% of respondents. Among women, the figure rose to 41%, compared with 33% of men.

Retention pressure

The survey suggests these concerns are feeding into wider retention problems across the sector. Three-quarters of respondents, 75%, said talent retention was a significant or moderate issue for their organisation.

Stress and burnout were also widespread. Some 59% of professionals said they had experienced work-related stress or burnout, with heavy workloads, lack of resources and unsupportive management cited as the main causes.

Women again reported worse outcomes than men. The survey found that 64% of women had experienced burnout, compared with 57% of men.

Employer support appeared limited. Only 25% of employers were reported to offer mental health days, while 23% offered no support at all for managing burnout.

The findings suggest workplace strain in technology extends beyond gender. Employees across the industry reported limited authority over decisions and little influence over core business matters, factors that can affect both job satisfaction and retention.

Mixed outlook

At the same time, respondents expressed optimism about representation in the sector. More than two-thirds of both men and women, 71%, said they expected to see more women entering technology over the next five years.

Asked what would make the biggest difference in encouraging women into the field, 69% of women pointed to more female mentors and role models. A further 55% said institutions should provide more female tech professors and create women's networks.

The findings suggest recruitment is only part of the challenge for employers. Progression, influence and workplace support remain central to whether women stay in technology roles once they enter the sector.

Julia Hermann, Member of the SheLeadsTech Global Advisory Group and Former Vice President of the ISACA Germany Chapter, said: "Retention rates are still a challenge, which tells us that good intentions are not yet turning into action. If organisations want to hold onto talent and support their workforce, they need to show that they are investing in their people through clear paths for progression, real support for wellbeing and a genuine commitment to inclusion. The employers who get this right will be the ones who keep hold of their best people in an increasingly competitive market."

She added that the latest findings showed both progress in recognising barriers and a failure to match that awareness with practical measures inside companies.

"This year's data paints a genuinely mixed picture. More people recognise the barriers women face, and there's real optimism about where representation is heading. But employer action hasn't caught up with that awareness, particularly when it comes to programmes designed to bring more women into the sector. That gap is exactly why now is the moment to act: the sector has built momentum around naming the problem, and the task now is to turn that into practical routes in for the next generation. Mentorship and education are central to that shift, and programmes like SheLeadsTech are already proving what works, connecting women early with the role models, skills and networks that keep them in the sector for the long term," Hermann said.