More than half of women in tech aged 35 to 44 have considered leaving the industry in the past year, according to a major new survey, raising fresh questions over how long they can stay the course once they reach senior levels.
Web Summit's 2026 Gender in Tech report, based on responses from more than 1,000 women, found that 42 per cent overall had thought about cutting their working hours, stepping away from leadership or quitting the sector altogether during the previous 12 months.
Among women aged 35 to 44, that figure rose to 52 per cent, highlighting the pressures facing professionals in the middle of their careers.
The findings underline a challenge for technology companies that are investing in female representation. Getting women into senior positions is one part of the problem, but keeping experienced professionals in the industry is another.
Published ahead of Web Summit's November event in Lisbon, the report looks at workplace experiences, family pressures and changing expectations influencing women's decisions.
The survey reflects the experiences of Web Summit's international women-in-tech community and does not claim to represent the entire technology workforce.
Sexism, Pay Concerns and a Leadership Glass Ceiling
More than half of the respondents, 58 per cent, said they did not believe they were paid fairly compared with their male counterparts. That was up from 37 per cent in the previous year's survey, according to figures reported by EFE, an increase of 21 percentage points.
The results point to a worsening perception of pay fairness among participants, rather than independently establishing that the actual gender pay gap has increased.
Workplace behaviour is another concern. Around half of those surveyed, 52 per cent, said they had experienced sexism at work during the previous year. Examples included colleagues interrupting them, dismissing their views or giving their ideas recognition only after a male colleague repeated them.
Such experiences can make it harder for women to establish authority, even when they already hold senior positions.
The figures also reveal a difference between having women in management and achieving representation at the highest executive levels. While 84 per cent of respondents reported women in leadership roles at their organisations, 35 per cent said women were represented in the C-suite.
These figures describe the experiences reported by survey participants, rather than the proportion of all technology companies with women executives.
For companies, the findings raise practical questions about how promotions, salaries and workplace conduct are handled. Publishing diversity targets may demonstrate intent, but employees also need transparent pay decisions, fair access to advancement and processes for addressing discriminatory behaviour.
Burnout, Childcare and the Mid-Career Squeeze
The survey also points to the pressures some women associate with reducing their professional commitments or leaving technology. Some 56 per cent of respondents said they knew a woman who had already reduced her professional commitments or left the industry.
Among the reasons reported were burnout or health concerns, cited by 57 per cent, and the cost or lack of childcare, mentioned by 54 per cent. These figures describe reported reasons and experiences, not verified departure rates across the technology industry.
Professional responsibilities may coincide with childcare, caring for relatives or concerns about personal wellbeing. However, the survey does not establish which factors account for the higher proportion of women aged 35 to 44 who had considered changing their careers.
The report also examined online content promoting traditional domestic roles, including the 'tradwife' movement. Some influencers present homemaking as an alternative to the demands of professional life, while others have built businesses around this content.
However, 58 per cent of respondents said the trend reinforces outdated gender expectations. The result reflects participants' views of the movement, rather than evidence that it is directly causing women to leave technology.
Grazi Sbardelotto, Marketing VP at Pmweb and a Web Summit women in tech ambassador, argued that confidence and access to opportunities need attention from an early stage.
'I believe one of the biggest challenges is building confidence in women from an early stage. We need to create more opportunities for women to develop not only technical skills, but also the confidence to speak up, take risks, ask for opportunities and see themselves as leaders,' she said.
AI Fails to Deliver on Equality Hopes
Artificial intelligence has also failed to meet many respondents' expectations as a potential force for workplace equality. In the previous survey, 75 per cent believed AI could help make technology more equal.
In 2026, only 31 per cent said it had contributed to greater equality, while 34 per cent reported no impact, 19 per cent believed it had made gender equality worse and 16 per cent were unsure. These responses measure women's perceptions, rather than providing a definitive assessment of AI's effect on gender equality.
AI tools may change how teams work, but they cannot automatically resolve questions about pay, promotion, workplace behaviour or access to senior decision-making. Companies still need to examine whether their policies and everyday practices give women equal opportunities to progress.
Carolyn Quinlan, Web Summit's vice president of community, called for employers to address the barriers women face, improve support for parents and caregivers, and turn commitments to equality into practical action.
'At Web Summit, our commitment remains steadfast. We will continue to use our global platform to champion these crucial conversations, not shying away from acknowledging the challenges, and support the remarkable women who are redefining what leadership looks like,' she said.
Retention, Not Just Recruitment, Is the Next Test
Web Summit is scheduled to take place in Lisbon from 9 to 12 November 2026, with organisers expecting more than 70,000 attendees from over 100 countries. The findings put pressure on technology employers to consider how they retain experienced women, rather than measuring progress solely by who reaches the top.
For employers, the answer will require more than recruitment targets. Fair pay, credible routes to promotion, workable care arrangements and accountability for workplace conduct are all areas to examine if companies want to retain the women they have worked to bring into leadership.
