How HerFuture opens the door to careers in tech
Women make up less than 30% of the global tech workforce. Even more striking: 78% of students can’t name a famous woman in tech! There’s obviously a big gender bias in jobs in tech. This bias starts long before the first job interview. It’s already present in classrooms where girls are discouraged from choosing technical subjects. In job descriptions that read like a checklist for perfection. In recruitment processes that reward confidence over potential. HerFuture’s research shows that 60% of young women in tech have already experienced gender bias before their careers truly begin.
Barriers, seen and unseen
The problem is not women’s talent, it is access and expectation. Women describe being underestimated in group work. Having ideas ignored until repeated by male peers. Being steered toward “supportive” tasks instead of technical ones. Being expected to prove themselves again and again. Some describe being asked to fetch coffee in meetings… As one respondent said: “I am not here to serve. I am here to contribute.”
These moments may seem small. Their impact is not. They erode confidence, reinforce doubt, and quietly push talent out of the system.
Why this matters
At Shaping Impact with SI3 we invest in businesses that remove structural barriers to opportunity. When access is unequal, systems underperform. Innovation slows. Talent is lost. Gender inequality in tech is not only unfair. It is inefficient.
Our Theory of Change is simple: equal access leads to stronger people, stronger organisations, and a more resilient economy. Tech shapes how we live and work. If women are missing from that future, the outcomes will be too.
From access to influence
HerFuture focuses on a critical transition: from education to employment. Many students already have the skills. What they lack is insight into recruitment, relevant networks, and visible role models. Or, as co-founder Micky Chen puts it: “A lot of students have the skills. They just haven’t cracked the code of big tech recruiting yet.”
HerFuture creates spaces where women don’t have to navigate alone. With a community of over 5,000 women in STEM, it connects early-career talent to mentors, peers, and companies actively investing in inclusion. Confidence at career entry depends on two things: relevant skills and meaningful networks. HerFuture strengthens both.
And as careers progress, the focus shifts. From getting in, to being heard. From entry, to influence. HerFuture supports women in building leadership presence and professional positioning, so talent not only enters tech, but stays and grows. The goal is to improve the system, so inclusion becomes the norm.
“The question is no longer whether women are ready for tech — it’s whether tech is ready for women.”
