The Pandemic Is Pushing Women Out of Tech: What Employers Must Do
Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, a troubling pattern has emerged: women are leaving the workforce at alarming rates. For the tech industry—already struggling with gender diversity—this crisis threatens to erase years of hard-won progress.
The Numbers Are Stark
McKinsey research reveals the disproportionate impact on women:
- Women’s jobs have been 180% more vulnerable than men’s during the pandemic
- One in four women are considering leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers
- Working mothers are three times more likely than fathers to be responsible for household and caregiving duties during COVID-19
- Women’s labor force participation dropped from 72.3% in 2019 to 71.2% in 2020
For women in tech—already just 27% of the workforce—these numbers spell disaster.
Why Women Are Hit Harder
The Caregiving Burden
With schools closed and childcare unavailable, someone has to watch the kids. Despite progress toward equality, that someone is disproportionately women. Working mothers are trying to do full-time jobs while simultaneously managing children’s remote learning.
Role Vulnerability
Women are overrepresented in roles that have faced the deepest cuts: HR, marketing, customer success. Technical roles—where women are underrepresented—have been more protected.
Senior Women Face Unique Pressure
Women in leadership positions face particular challenges. The pandemic has increased workloads while making the work-life balance that enabled their advancement impossible.
Black Women Bear the Heaviest Burden
Black women face compounded challenges: the pandemic’s disproportionate health impact on Black communities, increased caregiving demands, and pre-existing workplace barriers.
The Long-Term Threat
Women who leave the workforce—even temporarily—face lasting consequences:
- Skills can atrophy and become outdated
- Career gaps raise questions with future employers
- Professional networks weaken over time
- Confidence erodes without regular work engagement
- Return paths are often lower-level or lower-paid
PwC suggests this exodus could return women’s workplace progress to 2017 levels—a massive setback.
What Employers Can Do
1. Embrace Flexibility
Rigid schedules are incompatible with pandemic parenting. Companies that offer genuine flexibility—not just permission to work odd hours, but actual reduced expectations during crisis—will retain talent.
2. Reduce Workloads
This isn’t the time for stretch goals. Acknowledging that everyone is operating at reduced capacity helps women (and men) survive without burning out.
3. Provide Concrete Support
Childcare subsidies, backup care services, and extended leave options provide tangible help. Some companies are offering pandemic bonuses specifically for caregivers.
4. Protect Careers
Ensure that reduced hours or pandemic accommodations don’t become career penalties. Promotion and advancement should account for unprecedented circumstances.
5. Stay Connected
For women who do step back, maintain relationships. Make clear that doors remain open. Create return pathways that don’t penalize pandemic departures.
For Women Navigating This Crisis
If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Communities like WomenHack provide connection and support even when career progress feels impossible.
Our virtual events allow participation from home, on flexible schedules. Building professional connections now—even if you’re not actively job searching—pays dividends when circumstances improve.
The Stakes Are High
Gender diversity in tech was already inadequate. The pandemic threatens to make it worse. Employers who step up now will retain the diverse talent they’ve worked to build. Those who don’t will watch it walk away.