International Women’s Day is Saturday, but there isn’t much to celebrate about one alarming figure — 19% of women plan to leave their tech jobs within a year.
Against the backdrop of a bro culture that has defined the relationship between Big Tech and the White House, coupled with an overall lack of perceived support on the job, women are considering their options outside the industry as they navigate the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), rolled-back DEI initiatives and return-to-office (RTO) mandates, and re-evaluate their leadership ambitions.
While 92% of respondents report an improved workplace experience, inequities persist. For example, one in four women still feel uncomfortable or unsafe because of “microaggressions or other forms of discrimination that happen while working in person,” according to Ensono’s 2025 Speak Up survey of 1,500 full-time female tech employees in the U.S., U.K. and India in December 2024.
“While the experiences for many women in technology have improved, this should not distract tech leaders from understanding the inequities that impact the workplace and striving to meet all employees where they are. Balancing equity across a diverse, distributed workforce is a complex mandate, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to understanding organizational needs,” said Meredith Graham, chief people officer at Ensono, a managed service provider. “To scale successfully, companies must foster consistent experiences and opportunities – regardless of location or role.”
A major sticking point remains a forced return to work. Some 82% of women faced RTO mandates last year (64% were required to be in the office at least four days a week), and nearly half (49%) said they struggled to balance caregiving with in-office expectations. This correlated to nearly one in five women saying they planned to leave their companies in search for greater remote work flexibility, more inclusion in decision-making, and better work-life balance.
“The primary reason women are leaving tech is greater flexibility,” Graham said in an email. “Women are looking for flexibility and are eager to understand how companies implement it. Whether it’s through hybrid work models, flexible schedules, or remote work options, it’s important to clearly communicate what is available to them.”
Indeed, half (50%) of the respondents said they don’t want the additional stress or pressure that comes with a leadership position, and 36% valued their work-life balance too much to compromise it, the survey revealed.
“The tech industry has a gender gap problem: Women are either invisible or noticeably absent in an industry built on innovation,” Zohra Ladha, vice president of data science at Tredence, said in an email. “Continuing to overlook women for tech roles will only stifle companies from reaching their full potential in the digital era — a move that can slow down their competitive advantage.”
There was some progress in the annual study. Better pay and benefits dropped out of the top-three reasons women sought new roles. At the same time, 89% of the women polled said GenAI helped their career, with the percentage of respondents ranking their skills as “expert” from a year ago.
If there is a path to creating a tech ecosystem where women don’t just participate but lead and thrive, AI could be an option, Ladha said.
For instance, some companies have turned to AI to improve their hiring practices, which may be prone to unconscious bias against women. However, AI can also be prone to those same biases if built with biased data or without diverse perspectives, she added.
“Companies need to embed diversity into AI development to ensure their AI actually solves inequalities within the hiring process and not perpetuate more inequalities,” Ladha said. “Tech companies’ support of women shouldn’t end once they’re hired, and AI can help here, too. AI can be customized to an employee’s existing skills, identifying skill gaps and providing personalized learning opportunities. The companies that actively invest in hiring and upskilling women are the ones that will create stronger organizations and usher in the future of tech.”
