Fewer women working in tech now than in 1984: Report

“Seeing others who are already in the industry come and speak to you can give you encouragement that that really is a career that will be both successful for you, as well as welcoming,” she says.

“That welcoming piece is really important to give young women confidence that the space they’re moving into is going to be a welcoming space, where they can expect to be successful and not to find the challenges of being passed over for leadership opportunities, or some of the toxic workplaces that sometimes happen when you have a concentration of just one group.”

And when employers do get women to join the tech space, it’s also important for them to train them for leadership positions because it brings a lot of positives to the company, says Sale.

“When I see a leadership group that’s diverse, I find that they are more open, interested and expectant of other diverse leadership groups and companies they do business with. You also find that when you have women in the room for the conversations of what are the priorities for a company, it does sometimes shift what those priorities are in terms of understanding the needs of their workforce, and making space for other women within that organization to take on new roles and take on leadership roles.”

And to help women rise to the top, employers must encourage and support them, she says.