By Isaac Olufemi Ojo
LAGOS — As the global technology sector prepares to commemorate Women’s Equality Day on August 26, corporate leaders are calling for an urgent shift from entry-level recruitment metrics toward long-term career retention and workplace equity for women in tech.
Despite decades of advocacy, women currently account for just 26.7 percent of the global technology workforce.
Industry experts warn that hiring initiatives will continue to yield minimal long-term progress unless companies dismantle the structural barriers driving mid-career talent out of the sector.
Estelle Azemard, Chief Executive Officer of Leaseweb Canada, noted that the core issue extends well beyond pipeline building, citing data showing that nearly 50 percent of women in technology leave the industry by age 35.
“Today, just 26.7 percent of the global tech workforce are women. That’s not an opinion — it’s a fact, and it’s the result of decades of education, social conditioning, and systems that we all, women included, sometimes reproduce without realizing it,” Azemard stated.
She emphasized that achieving gender parity requires active involvement from all industry stakeholders rather than placing the onus solely on female workers.
“Equality isn’t women’s responsibility alone. It’s everyone’s work — men and women together,” she added.
The retention crisis highlights a growing disconnect between hiring goals and internal career development.
While outreach programs have successfully increased female enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, technology firms frequently fail to offer clear pathways to leadership, mentorship, and equitable growth.
Azemard stressed that skills and leadership potential are independent of gender, race, or background, urging technology companies to evaluate whether their internal cultures offer talented professionals a compelling reason to remain.
“Getting more women through the door matters. But that’s only the beginning. Hard skills and soft skills don’t belong to one gender, one race, one religion, or one background. They’re developed through learning, experience, and opportunity,” Azemard said. “The best companies recognize that talent can come from anywhere… and then make sure that talent has every opportunity to succeed.”
First designated in 1971 to mark the anniversary of the 19th Amendment certifying women’s constitutional right to vote in the United States, Women’s Equality Day serves as an annual benchmark for evaluating gender inclusion across public and private institutions globally.
