A lot of women are quietly planning their exit from tech.
Not mildly tired. Not “maybe I need a holiday” tired. Done.
👉 Bakery, personal trainer, freelance, public sector, small business, “literally anything but this” levels of done.
I know women who have already left tech to do exactly those things. I’m seeing it in coaching chats, coffee chats and almost everywhere I go.
It’s especially showing up with senior women over 40. Women who have spent years building an Olympic-level tolerance for bullsh*t and have still reached the end of the line.
But it’s not just me.
💡 According to GOV.UK’s 2025 Diversity in UK Tech report, one in three women in tech are planning to leave their roles, citing lack of career progression, poor work-life balance and unsupportive culture.
💡 Akamai’s 2026 Mid-Career Exodus research found that 87% of women leave tech roles within ten years.
And this isn’t just a “diversity is a nice-to-have” problem.
💡 McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 39% more likely to financially outperform those in the bottom quartile.
💡 The 2025 Lovelace Report estimated that 40,000–60,000 women leave UK tech and digital roles each year, costing the economy £2bn–£3.5bn annually.
When experienced women leave tech, we don’t just lose representation. We take a serious hit to competitive advantage, culture and innovation.
The data already tells us why. The question is whether we’re finally willing to fix the conditions driving women out.
Sources
GOV.UK / DSIT, Diversity in UK Tech, 2025: gov.uk
Akamai, The Mid-Career Exodus, 2026: akamai.com
Oliver Wyman / WeAreTechWomen, The Lovelace Report 2025: oliverwyman.com
McKinsey, Diversity Matters Even More, 2023: mckinsey.com
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