In 2024, women in tech still face greater barriers compared with men, and advancements in technologies, such as artificial intelligence, make eliminating bias more relevant than ever.

Gender parity in tech improved in 2023 after the industry saw a dip throughout the “Great Resignation” during the pandemic, according to a 2023 report from AnitaB.org. The one exception is companies with small technical workforces, which have seen post-pandemic representation of women continuing to decline. While gains were made for women at the executive and senior levels, which experienced a 18.6% and 10.9% growth, respectively, work remains to be done to ensure gender equality in tech.

Women, especially those of color, continue to encounter challenges ranging from microaggressions to the “broken rung,” a gender disparity in promotion from entry level to manager positions. They make up less than a third of the tech workforce and are 1.6 times more likely to be laid off than men, according to research from the WomenTech Network.

“It’s often difficult not to be frustrated,” said Shelly Kramer, managing director and principal analyst of theCUBE Research. “I still find myself elbowing my way to the table alongside my male counterparts in tech on a regular basis, and I also regularly experience being marginalized by male leaders. This path is not for the faint of heart, but organizations such as WiDS, mentorship and women lifting other women up are all parts of the path to success.”

TheCUBE’s coverage of the annual Women in Data Science Worldwide Conference on March 8 will bring together data scientists and analysts to highlight the achievements made by women in tech and leadership roles. TheCUBE Research analysts will interview data science experts on AI, digital economies, healthcare, sustainability, outer space and the next steps toward inclusivity in the industry. (* Disclosure below.)

Check out what’s in store for theCUBE’s coverage of the Women in Data Science Conference:

AI creates potential for women in tech

A large part of the conference will focus on AI, including its impact on data science, public health and outer space communication, among other critical topics. How AI will shape the path toward gender equality remains to be seen, but it could present new opportunities for female business leaders.

“As we see generative AI begin to make inroads in the business landscape, I see good opportunities ahead for women in data science,” Kramer said. “AI is a game-changer, but it’s important to remember that technology alone is never in and of itself a solution; it’s a combination of people, processes and technology that makes the magic happen.”

Women business leaders score better than men on emotional intelligence, self-awareness and communication and have a more service-oriented mindset, according to past research. These qualities are important for developing and working alongside AI.

“Women bring flexibility in problem-solving capabilities and the ability to see problems from another’s perspective, allowing them to identify issues and solve problems expeditiously and empathetically, all of which bodes well for adding AI-powered technology into the mix,” Kramer added.

The ongoing fight against gender discrimination

Ellen Pao, chief executive officer of Project Include and former CEO of Reddit Inc., will be a featured keynote speaker at WiDS 2024. She gained recognition for her discrimination suit against Kleiner Perkins in 2012 and went on to forge an, at times, controversial career focused on combating bias and harassment in big tech.

Pao’s most recent venture, Project Include, uses data science to increase equity, inclusion and accountability in the tech industry. Their work builds on a major point of discussion from past WiDS events about the potential for biased data to impact AI algorithms.

“How do we responsibly use this data? How do we use this data to make sure that we’re representing all diversity … minorities?” asked Gayatree Ganu, vice president of data science at Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook, who spoke with theCUBE during last year’s WiDS event. “Machine learning algorithms don’t do well with small data; they do well with big data. But the small data matters.”

Despite concerns about fostering inclusion, women in tech leaders, such as Gabriela de Queiroz, principal cloud advocate at Microsoft, see a lot of hope for the future of women in tech. An increase of women at executive and senior levels, as seen over the last year, strongly correlates with more women being hired at entry level.

“Make sure that you have a community. Make sure that you have a mentor,” said de Queiroz, who spoke to theCUBE at last year’s event. “Make sure that you have someone or some people, not only one mentor, different mentors, that can support you through this transition. WIDS gives us that opportunity, which is fantastic.”

TheCUBE event livestream

Don’t miss theCUBE’s coverage of the Women in Data Science Worldwide Conference event, from March 8. Plus, you can watch theCUBE’s event coverage on-demand after the live event.

How to watch theCUBE interviews

We offer you various ways to watch theCUBE’s coverage of the Women in Data Science Worldwide Conference event, including theCUBE’s dedicated website and YouTube channel. You can also get all the coverage from this year’s events on SiliconANGLE.

TheCUBE Insights podcast

SiliconANGLE also has podcasts available of archived interview sessions, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify, which you can enjoy while on the go.

SiliconANGLE also has analyst deep dives in our Breaking Analysis podcast, available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify.

Guests

During the Women in Data Science Worldwide Conference EU event, theCUBE Research analysts will talk with industry professionals about news and product announcements. Stay tuned for our complete guest list.

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the Women in Data Science Worldwide Conference event. No sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE