31% women in tech jobs: Are mid-career roles opening up for women?

The headline figure has been repeated for years: women hold only around 28-31% of tech roles, a statistic that has remained stubbornly stagnant despite decades of diversity initiatives. For a long time, the strategy to fix this pipeline was focused on entry-level hiring—getting more girls into STEM education and more women into graduate schemes. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that the real crisis is not at the entry door; it is in the middle of the corridor. The conversation is finally shifting from "how do we get them If you are writing a formal text, avoid using preposition at the end of sentence.? to "why are they leaving, and how do we get them back?" As we navigate a rapidly changing technological landscape defined by AI automation and a persistent skills shortage, the question is no longer just about representation, but about structural inclusion. Are mid-career roles—those pivotal positions for women with five or more years of experience—actually opening up? The answer is complex: while significant barriers remain, a confluence of economic necessity and evolving leadership philosophies is beginning to open the door.

 The Leaky Pipeline: Where Do Women Go? The statistics paint a stark picture of attrition. While hiring at junior levels has seen improvement, the "leaky pipeline" phenomenon sees women exiting the sector at critical moments. In Australia, for example, after the age of 40, women leave the tech industry at nearly twice the rate of men. This is not just a "down under" problem; it is a global trend where experienced female leaders step away just as their technical depth and commercial acumen should be peaking. Why do they leave? Research consistently points to a toxic combination of factors: Lack of progression: Mid-career women often hit a "cliff" where the path to senior technical or leadership roles is unclear or blocked. Recognition and pay gaps: Inadequate compensation and a lack of recognition for their contributions make staying feel like stagnation. Burnout and structural trust issues: As one industry leader noted, mid-career is often a "collision course" where peak professional demands hit peak personal life shifts, such as starting a family or caring for aging parents. Many organizations still confuse "high performer" with "always on," penalizing those who seek balance. When these women exit, they take with them not just their technical skills, but "institutional memory, contextual judgment, and diversity of thought where it matters most. The Hidden Barrier: Rigid Hiring and the "Broken Rung" For those who wish to re-enter the sector after a break, or pivot from a non-technical role into a digital one, the obstacles are often insurmountable. A landmark report by the City of London Corporation has highlighted a critical issue: mid-career women are being systematically overlooked by rigid hiring processes. These systems, often automated, screen out candidates whose CVs show non-linear paths. Career gaps for childcare, eldercare, or even a pivot through a different industry are treated as red flags rather than the valuable life experience they represent. Dame Susan Langley, Lord Mayor of the City of London, has urged employers to focus on potential and adaptability, warning that a failure to do so will exacerbate the digital talent gap.

 This creates a cruel paradox. At a time when the UK alone has over 12,000 unfilled digital vacancies and could miss out on more than £10bn in economic growth due to talent shortages, experienced women are being filtered out before they even get an interview. A New Threat: AI and the Automation of the Entry-Level. Just as the fight for representation gains momentum, a new challenge has emerged: Artificial Intelligence. While AI presents immense opportunities, it poses a specific threat to gender diversity. A recent report suggests that women are at greater risk of job displacement due to AI than their male peers. The danger is twofold. First, clerical and administrative roles—disproportionately held by women—are among the most vulnerable to automation. Second, AI is eating the homework of junior employees. The tasks that once allowed new professionals to learn the ropes, prove their value, and build a foundation for a career are increasingly being automated. This risks locking the next generation of female leaders out before they can even enter the field. As one expert put it, "If entry-level roles are becoming extinct," we must urgently redefine what makes a candidate "future-ready," focusing on uniquely human skills like judgment and empathy that AI cannot replicate. Cracks in the Ceiling: How Roles Are Finally Opening Up Despite these challenges, there are signs that the landscape for mid-career women is shifting. The change is being driven by three key factors:

1.The Shift from Mentorship to Sponsorship For years, the solution was mentoring—advising women on how to navigate their careers. While still valuable, leaders are now calling for a more powerful intervention: sponsorship. Unlike a mentor who offers advice, a sponsor uses their political capital to actively advocate for a woman when she is not in the room. They put her forward for high-visibility projects, recommend her for promotions, and actively pull her into the leadership pipeline. Caroline Soo, a VP at KnowBe4, embeds this into her practice, holding monthly skip-level meetings to ensure her team members have "absolute clarity on their professional goals" and know that leadership is a partner in their journey. 2. Valuing the Non-Linear Path: The outdated ideal of a linear, uninterrupted career is finally being challenged. Companies are beginning to recognize that diverse backgrounds build stronger teams. The profiles of women thriving in data and analytics consultancy Flock Consulting demonstrate this perfectly. Senior BI Consultant Amanda Kwok entered data later in life after starting in hospitality and recruitment, proving that curiosity and drive can be more valuable than a pure-play technical degree. Marieke Mahoney, a Director at the same firm, has worked part-time for 12 years while raising a family, serving as a visible reference point that senior careers and flexible working are not mutually exclusive. 3. The "Give to Gain" Economy: The 2026 International Women's Day theme, "Give to Gain," has resonated deeply within the tech sector. This philosophy frames leadership not as a solo climb but as a collective effort. 

Leaders are finding that by investing time in knowledge-sharing, mentoring with specificity, and creating opportunities for others, they strengthen their teams and drive innovation. Preeti Shirmal of Flexera noted that sharing hard-won lessons and sponsoring others into visible roles turns innovation into a "shared asset that lifts everyone. Conclusion: A Defining Moment for Women in Tech. So, are mid-career roles opening up for women? The door is undoubtedly open, but it is not yet wide open. The economic imperative is clear: with a digital skills gap threatening to cost the economy billions, companies can no longer afford to ignore half the population. The rise of AI, while threatening certain roles, also elevates the value of human judgment—a space where diverse female leadership offers a distinct competitive advantage. The path forward requires deliberate action. It requires companies to strip bias from hiring processes, to invest in deskilling women in critical roles for the digital future, and for leaders to move from passive mentorship to active sponsorship. For women navigating this landscape, the advice from those who have broken through is clear: back yourself, apply for roles although you do not tick every box, and remember that your unique, non-linear path is not a gap to hide, but an asset to leverage. The future of tech depends not on fitting into an outdated model, but on building a new one where impact, expertise, and results are the only things that count.