Web Summit&#8217;s annual Gender in Tech report shows that women are firmly part of the tech landscape, including in leadership, but bias and balancing family and career remain major challenges. Now in its seventh year, <a href="https://docsend.com/view/wsagdvb78uahhhst" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Web Summit’s annual Gender in Tech report</a> draws on the experiences of its global women in tech community, ahead of Web Summit 2026 in Lisbon this November. The report offers a closer look at women’s lived experiences in the tech industry, from their ambitions to the challenges they continue to face. 



This year&#8217;s findings show that while women are firmly established in leadership and continue to show ambition to lead, many are reconsidering their future in the industry.&nbsp;Sexism, unequal pay and balancing family and career continue to shape women’s experiences, while optimism about AI’s potential to make tech more equal has yet to translate into widespread progress.



Web Summit&#8217;s 2026 Gender in Tech report explores these tensions across five main findings. You can read the full report&nbsp;<a href="https://docsend.com/view/wsagdvb78uahhhst">here</a>.



1. The same barriers remain year after year Half of respondents still experience sexism, while 58% say they are not paid fairly compared with men.



2. Less hope that AI could close the gender gap For half of respondents, AI’s effect on gender equality is either absent or invisible. Last year, three in four women (75%) believed AI could help make tech more equal. A year on, just 31% say it has. The biggest group (34%) see no impact at all, and another 16% can’t tell.



3. More women are thinking about leaving tech 42% have considered reducing their hours, stepping away from leadership or leaving tech. That rises to 52% among women aged 35 to 44, while 56% know a woman who has already scaled back or left.



4. Traditional roles are back in the conversation 58% say the rise of online content romanticising homemaking and more traditional gender roles reinforces old gender expectations. Yet many see the movement as a response to burnout and the pressures of modern work.



5. Women are leading Despite the pressures elsewhere in the survey, women are firmly present at the top. 84% report women in leadership at their company, including 35% who say women are represented at C-suite level.



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“We need to address the barriers women face. What would help more women stay and grow in tech? How can companies better support parents and caregivers, and make their commitments to gender equality meaningful in practice?”, shares Web Summit’s VP of Community, Carolyn Quinlan.&nbsp; says Web Summit’s VP of Community, Carolyn Quinlan. “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.”



The findings come as Web Summit prepares to bring together more than 70,000 attendees from over 100 countries in Lisbon from November 9-12. With AI transforming how people work, companies reconsidering diversity initiatives, and more women questioning whether to stay in the industry, gender equality remains an important part of the conversation.



As AI reshapes the industry, the question is no longer just how to bring more women into tech, but what it will take to make them stay.

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