Release: State of Women in Tech 2026 Report

Women continue to love working in tech

Despite ongoing challenges, enthusiasm for the industry remains remarkably high.

A full 88% of respondents gave the two highest ratings when asked how much they enjoy working in tech, with more than half selecting the highest possible score.

Women cite intellectual challenges, innovation, continuous learning, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact as the most rewarding aspects of their careers. The strongest levels of satisfaction are found among women who have spent more than two decades in the industry.

This high level of engagement is particularly notable at a time when AI and emerging technologies are transforming jobs faster than ever before.

Most women want to stay in tech

The overwhelming majority of women are committed to the industry.

While nearly half of respondents are actively looking for a new job, more than nine out of ten of those job seekers want to remain within tech. Only a small minority are considering careers outside the sector.

The factors that most influence retention are not salary alone. Women say they stay because of:

• Work-life balance
• Feeling valued and appreciated
• A positive workplace culture

These findings send a clear message to employers: retaining talent requires more than compensation packages. Culture and leadership matter.

Leadership remains the biggest reason women consider leaving

Although most women are not planning to leave the industry, the share who are considering it has increased compared to last year.

The most common reason is not technology, workload, or personal circumstances. It is poor leadership.

Career development and growth opportunities rank as the second most common reason for considering an exit, highlighting the importance of visible career paths and active support from managers.

In an era of rapid AI transformation, leadership has become even more critical. Employees need support, guidance, and opportunities to develop new skills. When those opportunities are missing, many women feel left behind.

Gender-based discrimination is still widespread

One of the most concerning findings in this year’s report is that six in ten women have experienced gender-based discrimination at some point in their careers.

The situation is particularly severe among younger women. Nearly eight in ten women under the age of 26 report having experienced gender-based discrimination during the past year.

The most common forms include:

• Unequal access to opportunities and decision-making
• Pay inequality
• Expectations to perform invisible or unrecognized work

The increase compared to last year’s results suggests that progress is not moving fast enough to create a truly equitable workplace experience.

AI is creating a new equality challenge

This year’s report highlights a growing concern: the AI transformation is not gender-neutral.

Research shows that AI-related skills increasingly command significant salary premiums, yet men are currently adopting and building AI skills at a faster rate than women.

At the same time, many female-dominated professions are among those most exposed to AI-driven disruption.

This creates what the report calls a “double paradox”:

1. Women are acquiring AI skills at a slower pace.
2. Women are more likely to work in roles affected by AI automation.

Without targeted action, existing inequalities risk becoming even more deeply embedded in the future workforce.

Students are choosing AI and data-driven careers

There is encouraging news from the next generation.

Among students in the Women in Tech community, interest in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence has grown significantly. AI-related studies have nearly doubled compared to the previous year.

Students are clearly responding to market signals and preparing for a rapidly changing labour market. However, education alone is not enough. To build a more equal future, employers, educators, and policymakers must ensure that women have equal access to the opportunities created by the AI economy.

The reskilling challenge Sweden cannot afford to ignore

The report also raises concerns about declining access to vocational technology education.

Sweden’s Higher Vocational Education (YH) system has long served as a critical pathway for career changers and professionals looking to reskill into tech. Yet admissions within Data and IT programmes have decreased significantly over the past two years.

At a time when AI is transforming entire professions, reducing access to reskilling opportunities risks hitting women particularly hard, especially those working in administrative and office-based roles that are most exposed to automation.

What happens next?

The findings from State of Women in Tech Sweden 2026 are both encouraging and urgent.

Women continue to see tech as a place where they can build meaningful careers, innovate, and create impact. But satisfaction alone does not guarantee equality.

If Sweden wants to remain competitive in a future shaped by AI, it cannot afford to leave half of its talent behind.

The responsibility lies with employers, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders alike. Better leadership, transparent career development, equal access to AI skills, and stronger pathways into tech are no longer nice-to-haves — they are business and societal imperatives.

The future of tech will be shaped by the choices we make today. The question is whether we are willing to make inclusion part of that future.