Web Summit announced Global Women in Tech Report 2024
Web Summit announced the findings of its fifth global women in tech report, which show that women in tech remain underpaid, underrepresented and underfunded.
Nearly a third (29.6%) of 1,000-plus surveyed women cited funding as a major hurdle with regard to starting a business, reflecting global trends of women-led startups struggling to secure venture capital.
More than half of the respondents noted a lack of women in leadership roles, with nearly 51% feeling unfairly compensated compared to men. Balancing a career and family life is an increasing challenge, with sexism in the workplace still a reality for a majority. Despite this, close to 76% of surveyees feel empowered to lead.
Known as the event where the tech world meets, Web Summit aims to spark debates that help us understand and address these ongoing issues. Web Summit’s 2024 Women in Tech survey was conducted during the summer among women who have joined our Women in Tech programme over the past number of years.
Key findings:
● A substantial 50.8% of women reported experiencing sexism in the workplace, a figure that has shown little change in recent years.
● Nearly half (49.1%) of women in the tech sector feel pressured to choose between family and career, marking a 7% increase from last year.
● More than 75% of respondents acknowledged feeling the need to work harder than their male counterparts, a trend that has remained steady over time.
● Respondents identified unconscious gender bias, balancing career and personal life, the scarcity of female role models, imposter syndrome, lack of support networks, and difficulties in funding as their most significant challenges.
● In spite of challenges, close to 76% of respondents would feel empowered to pursue and/or hold a leadership position.
● More than 80% of surveyees stated that there is a woman in senior management in their company, with 68.2% reporting that a woman holds a C-level position.
● There’s optimism around AI’s potential to drive positive change. More than 68% of respondents have a positive outlook on the impact of AI and automation on gender equity.
“Why do we have 1,000 women-founded startups joining us at Web Summit this year, and why does that number keep growing? This is the question that comes to mind when I see the survey results showing women are still facing the same challenges”, prefaces Carolyn Quinlan, VP of community at Web Summit.
“It’s frustrating that issues like sexism, unfair pay, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance keep appearing—it often feels like we’re stuck in the same conversations. Yet, I can’t help but feel hopeful. More women are stepping up, leading, and bringing their startups to events like Web Summit”, she continues.
“Since 2021, Web Summit has maintained a near parity ratio in attendees, and the rise in female participation and women-founded startups gives me hope that we can push these conversations forward and create a future where technology is a space for everyone, not just a boys’ club”, concludes the VP of community at Web Summit.
Momentum for change
The call for change is evident. Approximately 56% of women feel the industry isn’t doing enough to tackle gender inequality, and 69% are dissatisfied with their government’s efforts. In spite of the lack of initiatives, more women are empowered to step into the spotlight as opportunities arise. Close to 76% of women who answered Web Summit’s survey say they feel empowered to hold or apply for a leadership position.
Web Summit has seen a remarkable rise in women’s participation since launching the Women in Tech Programme in 2015. Designed to tackle gender inequality, the program offers discounts to encourage more women to attend and participate, making events more accessible, inclusive, and helping to foster a more diverse and innovative tech industry.
In 2016, just a year after the initiative’s launch, 42% of attendees were women, up from 25% in 2013. By 2021, women outnumbered men for the first time, reaching 50.5%
Since then, Web Summit has maintained a near parity ratio Beyond the Women in Tech programme, there has been a significant increase in women-founded startups. This year's Web Summit 2024, in Lisbon, will break records with 1,000 of the 3,000 startups attending as part of the startups programme.
At Web Summit Rio 2024, 45% of the 1,000 startups had a woman founder. Similarly, at Collision 2024, more than 44% of startups were women-founded, which represents a 14-point increase from 30% the previous year. At Web Summit Qatar 2024, 37% of attendees were women, alongside 30% of women speakers and 31% of the 1,000+ startups were founded by women.
The growing number of women-founded startups participating in Web Summit highlights the increasing drive among women to connect, innovate, and lead.
One participant emphasised this point, stating, “Being the only woman among male peers in a senior management position allows me to bring other women into similar roles. I have the opportunity to open more spaces for the next women who arrive.”
There is also optimism about AI’s ability to drive positive change, with over 68% of respondents viewing its impact on gender equity as beneficial. This perspective aligns with recent insights from PWC, which show that when used responsibly, AI can expand talent pools, address bias in talent management, and improve workplace collaboration.
Web Summit is committed to fueling these vital conversations about change through its speakers, stages, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for women to drive progress in the industry.
More details and insights from the women surveyed can be found at