3 A shortage of female role models Figure 2: Please name a role model in technology who has inspired you to consider a career in technology is a major barrier – as is a lack of understanding of how technology can Alan Sugar Mark Zuckerberg Ada Lovelace Marie Curie enable women to change the world Alan Turing Richard Branson Ellen Pao Marissa Meyer Bill Gates Steve Jobs Grace Hopper Sheryl Sandberg When asked which individuals they would most aspire Elon Musk Tim Berners-Lee Margaret Hamilton to be like in their future career, 34% of all students Don’t know / no-one say a successful business personality/prominent person in the field they’re interested in, with little difference in terms of gender. But when asked to name a role model who has inspired them to pursue Female Male a career in technology, 83% of female respondents 83% 59% find it impossible to do so, against only 59% of males, showing a clear gender gap. Meanwhile, 66% of respondents overall are able to name a famous man working in technology, while only 22% can name a famous female who does this. And where students can suggest a role model in technology, the males who are mentioned are suggested by far more people than each female mentioned. Also, 12% of females say there aren’t enough good role models for them in tech, compared to only 8% of males. So it’s clear that females suffer from a dearth of female role models who’ve been successful in technology and whom they can aspire to emulate. Only 22% can name a famous female working in technology 9 PwC