The share of women in tech who say they have experienced gender discrimination at work has risen to 47%, up 5 percentage points from 42% in 2024, according to ISACA's 2026 Tech Workplace and Culture survey.
Only 53% of women feel they have enough authority to shape company strategy, against 66% of men. Unclear career progression is the biggest barrier to advancement, cited by 34% of respondents overall, 41% of women and 33% of men. Women also report lower satisfaction than men with workplace culture, job security and career progression.
Stress is widespread. 59% of professionals report work-related stress or burnout, driven by heavy workload (48%), lack of resources (43%) and unsupportive management (42%). Burnout affects 64% of women and 57% of men. Only 25% of employers offer mental health days, and 23% offer no support at all. 75% of respondents call retention a significant or moderate problem for their organisation.
Julia Hermann, a member of the SheLeadsTech Global Advisory Group and former Vice President of ISACA Germany Chapter, said: “Retention rates are still a challenge, which tells us that good intentions are not yet turning into action.”
There is some optimism. 71% of men and women expect more women to enter the sector in the next five years, and 69% of women want to see more female mentors and role models. ISACA points to its SheLeadsTech programme as one practical response.
To stay across the latest in cloud, AI and enterprise tech analysis from Compare the Cloud, subscribe to our weekly newsletter at https://www.comparethecloud.net/newsletter
