Women in Digital’s Annual Report reveals many women are being slowed down mid-career – often when they start families – despite more flexibility

According to the report, while 77% of tech employers offer flexible work arrangements, just under 50% of women working in tech still believe having children hinders their careers. This tension is becoming harder to ignore, as the gap between workplace policies and everyday realities continues to widen.

The report found 34% of respondents believed school hours had negatively affected their careers, a rise from 29% in 2024. This suggests that while flexibility looks good on paper, how it is defined needs to be broadened beyond hours spent in the office.

WiD CEO and founder Holly Hunt said while it was great to see progress on flexibility, work still needs to be done to shift deep-seated structural and cultural norms.

“Flexibility is now widely embraced, and that’s a win for everyone in tech. However, there is a lingering culture of presenteeism, where visibility and after-hours engagement are still seen as prerequisites for advancement, which disproportionately disadvantages caregivers,” Ms Hunt said.

“The motherhood penalty hasn’t gone away, it’s just changed shape. This isn’t about women lacking confidence, it’s about the systems and cultures that still hinder progression. The report also found Only 40% of hybrid employees and 33% of remote employees agree they are encouraged to apply for senior or executive roles, compared to 56% of on-site employees.

Tesla Chair and Tech Council of Australia (TCA) Board Member Robyn Denholm said diversity is not a “nice-to-have”—it’s fundamental to building a high-performing tech sector and achieving the Australian government’s goal of 1.2 million tech jobs by 2030.

“When we talk about diversity, we’re really talking about better outcomes,” Ms Denholm said. “Whether it’s diversity of background, experience, or perspective, it leads to stronger teams, better decisions, and greater innovation.”

Other key insights from the report include:

• Improved access to equitable parental leave, with more than 65% of respondents reporting access to equitable leave policies, indicating that employers are beginning to recognise the importance of shared caregiving and family support.
• Two-thirds (61%) of respondents said they were confident their workplace ensures pay parity, up from 46% in 2024.

Male allyship is on the rise, with 68% of respondents agreeing that men in their workplace are supportive of women and their career paths. This marks a notable improvement from 2024, which stood at 61%, suggesting that cultural change is slowly underway.

Interestingly, when accounting for gender, only 62% of women agree that men in their workplace are supportive of women and their career paths, compared to 81% of men who agree with this statement.