Despite national conversations about a lack of women in IT, women remain largely underrepresented in technology roles, according to recent data from Women Tech Network. The report found that women aren’t just underrepresented, they’re 1.6 times more likely to face layoffs, which has pushed many to leave the tech industry entirely, furthering the gender gap.
Women have made strides in STEM since 1970, when they only accounted for 8% of the STEM workforce — a number that grew to 28% by 2025. But looking up the leadership ladder, representation of women drops to 25% of C-level leaders in tech, and all the way down to 5% when adjusted for BIPOC women.
Around 72% of women also still largely report experiencing “bro culture” at work, most notably the 63% of women who work in engineering. Such issues have played a large part in the rise of organizations focused on empowering and supporting women in tech, while also shifting internal cultures to recruit and retain women tech leaders.
Today’s networking and advocacy landscape finds a growing array of programs and organizations for girls and women, and plenty are also open to male allies. Here are 16 key organizations dedicated to uplifting women in tech, championing inclusivity in the workplace, and closing the diversity gap.
- Ada Developers Academy
- AnitaB.org
- Black Girls Code
- Girl Develop It (GDI)
- Girls Who Code
- IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)
- National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
- Rewriting The Code (RTC)
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Women in STEM
- Women in Tech (WIT)
- Women in Technology
- Women in Tech Council (WTC)
- Women in Technology International (WITI)
- Women Tech Network
- Women Who Code
Ada Developers Academy
Ada Developers Academy is a nonprofit, tuition-free coding school for women and gender-expansive adults that also prioritizes BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and low-income individuals. The training program offers a collaborative learning environment as well as individualized support through mentors, tutors, mental health support, and affinity groups. Participants also take part in a paid applied learning internship that teaches students to write code and become software developers.
AnitaB.org
AnitaB.org is a nonprofit for women in tech founded in 1997 by computer scientists Anita Borg and Telle Whitney. The organization seeks to support women in tech and to connect, inspire, and guide women in computing. AnitaB.org also includes Systers, founded in 1987 by Anita Borg, as the first online community for women in tech. Systers is still functioning today and claims to be the largest email community of women in technical computing, with more than 8,500 members worldwide.
Black Girls Code
Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls Code in part because she felt culturally isolated in her electrical engineering and computer programming courses in college. While women are underrepresented in STEM fields, that’s even more true for women of color. Black Girls Code is an organization that aims to support young and preteen girls of color to help give them the resources they need to succeed in STEM fields. Sparking an interest in technology at a young age is important to show that a career in tech is an option.
Girl Develop It (GDI)
Girl Develop It offers web and software development courses at affordable rates in a judgment-free zone. The nonprofit offers hands-on programs that teach women and non-binary people professional skills for software development, and supports a diverse network of women in STEM. GDI has charters in 60 cities across the country, but if you can’t find one in your area, you can submit a request for a new chapter where you live. The goal of the organization is to help eliminate barriers for women and non-binary individuals through live and hybrid workshops on career topics, one-on-one instructor study, and learning and networking events.
Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is an organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech and redefining what it means to be a programmer. It includes after-school clubs, summer courses and programs, and career advice and networking support for college students. According to data from Girls Who Code, 66% of girls aged six to 12 are interested in computing programs, but that drops to 32% for girls aged 13 to 17, and down to just 4% for college freshmen. The organization focuses on keeping girls and young women engaged in STEM fields as they grow by giving them support and a community.
IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is one of the largest technical professional organizations, and IEEE’s Women in Engineering (WIE) is a branch dedicated specifically to supporting women in engineering. It’s a global network of members and volunteers committed to empowering women engineers and inspiring girls around the world to embrace a passion for engineering and science. The organization recognizes influential women in STEM, hosts workshops and technical conferences, creates networking opportunities, and offers career development programs.
National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a community of change leaders focused on advancing innovation by correcting underrepresentation in computing. They offer several programs for professionals as well as for kids, teens, and young adults. The organization, which was chartered by the National Science Foundation in 2004, and was one of the first organizations to focus on women’s participation in computing fields, also provides support to companies that want to strengthen DEI in their organizations through hiring, awareness, inclusion, and systemic change. In addition, they provide research and stats on DEI in the tech industry for women and BIPOC technologists.
Rewriting The Code (RTC)
Rewriting The Code (RTC) has a mission to uplift and empower women in technology, with a focus on strengthening leadership skills, mentorship, networking, and building a community of women technologists. RTC also has culturally and racially affirming groups for women of color through the Black Wings, Latinas de RTC, and Tech Natives sub-groups within the RTC community. The organization offers members different programs for college students, entry-level roles, and for those already into their careers. Members get access to mentorship opportunities, meet ups, résumé workshops, career fairs, internship opportunities, and opportunities to attend events and conferences held by RTC.
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has been around for more than 70 years, helping women to grow in their engineering careers and bring about better representation. Members gain access to a large community of women engineers, networking events, professional development, and career services, and they can also get discounts to several other organizations in the industry. SWE also offers several youth programs, scholarship opportunities, and professional programs for adults.
Women in STEM
Women in STEM matches female university students and professionals with high school girls to encourage them to stay engaged in STEM. The aim is to increase representation in STEM fields through one-to-one mentoring partnerships. Mentors offer mentees college and career advice to help young girls understand the path to college and a career in STEM. Women in STEM also organizes guest speakers, discussion panels, and other programs for girls in elementary, middle, and high school to get them excited about the field.
Women in Tech (WIT)
Women in Tech focuses on fostering DEI in STEM by globally promoting the empowerment of girls and women when it comes to education, business, digital inclusion, and advocacy. WIT offers an international mentoring program for those seeking mentorship in career and leadership, technology, startups, digital marketing, project and product management, business analytics, and UX/UI design. The mentorship program is also free for both mentors and mentees, and it involves three individual sessions over the span of three months where participants are given access to onboarding and training materials, as well as closed community meetings and events.
Women in Technology
Women in Technology is committed to advancing women in tech through leadership development, education initiatives, and networking and mentorship opportunities for women technologists at every level of their career. It offers the mentor-protégé program, which matches participants with experienced professionals. Protégés are matched with four members over the course of five months, allowing mentors and mentees to connect with different professionals who can offer unique insight into the industry.
Women in Tech Council (WTC)
WTC is focused on developing programs that help diversify the pipeline from high school to the C-suite, and offers programs on DEI, women in the C-suite, women-led startups, innovation, and inclusion. It also offers mentorship, networking, and learning opportunities for members, in addition to several events including the WTC Summit, where topics around tech talent, building careers, and talent trends are highlighted and discussed in panel sessions.
Women in Technology International (WITI)
WITI was founded in 1989 as the International Network of Women in Technology and was later rebranded in 2001. WITI is a global organization that connects over two million women in STEM with membership in the US, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Australia, and Mexico. It organizes events, meetups, career coaching, speaker events, and more, and is dedicated to empowering innovation and building a future of inclusivity in the workplace.
Women Tech Network
The Women Tech Network hosts networking and educational events for women in tech, building networks in major cities around the country and the globe including New York, London, Berlin, Barcelona, Toronto, Madrid, San Francisco, and many more. The organization focuses on connecting women and creating allyship in the industry, starting by building momentum through programs and events that offer networking, mentorship, and other career opportunities.
Women Who Code
Women Who Code focuses on empowering women in tech and redefining the industry so women are equally represented as leaders, executives, founders, VCs, board members, and software engineers. The focus is on empowering women with the coding and programming skills needed to advance their careers, educating companies on how to promote, retain, and hire women, and establishing a global community of mentorship and support for women engineers.
More on women in IT
- Gender gapped: The state of gender diversity in IT
- Women IT leaders bring fresh perspectives to corporate boards
- 20 worthwhile conferences for women in tech
- Women in tech statistics: The hard truths of an uphill battle
- 12 awards that recognize women in tech
- 7 factors women look for in an IT employer — and how to address them