20 organizations advancing women in tech

Despite national conversations about a lack of women in IT, women remain largely underrepresented in technology roles, according to a study by the National Science Foundation. And the pipeline doesn’t suggest a near-term correction. Women make up 35% of employees in STEM in the US, and at the Big Five tech companies — Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft (GAFAM) — only 31% of their employees are women on average, according to data from The World Bank.

So representation of women in IT, regardless of gender and race, is trending in the wrong direction at every stage of the corporate pipeline. While women make up 48% of entry-level roles, the numbers are much lower as you climb the ladder. Women only represent 29% of C-suite roles, 28% of senior leadership roles, and 38% of senior manager and director roles.

Such issues have played a large part in the rise of organizations focused on empowering and supporting women in tech. Today’s networking and advocacy landscape finds a growing array of programs and organizations for girls, women, and anyone who identifies as a woman — and plenty are also open to male allies. Here are 20 key organizations dedicated to uplifting women in tech, championing inclusivity in the workplace, and closing the diversity gap.

20 organizations for women in tech

Ada Developers Academy
AnitaB.org
Black Girls Code
Girl Develop It (GDI)
Girls Who Code
IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)
Million Women Mentors (MWM)
National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)
Rewriting the Code (RTC)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Switch
TechLadies
TechWomen
Women in STEM
Women in Tech
Women in Technology
Women in Tech Council (WTC)
Women in Technology International (WITI)
Women Who Code
Women Who Tech

Ada Developers Academy

Ada Developers Academy is a nonprofit, tuition-free coding school for women and gender-expansive adults that also prioritizes BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and low-income individuals. The training program offers a collaborative learning environment as well as individualized support through mentors, tutors, mental health support, and affinity groups. Participants also take part in a paid applied learning internship that teaches students how to write code, and the skills to become a software developer.

AnitaB.org

AnitaB.org is a nonprofit for women in tech founded in 1997 by computer scientists Anita Borg and Telle Whitney. The organization seeks to support women in technology and to connect, inspire, and guide women in computing. AnitaB.org also includes Systers, founded in 1987 by Anita Borg, as the first online community for women in tech. Systers is still functioning today and claims to be the largest email community of women in technical computing with more than 8,500 members worldwide.

Black Girls Code

Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls Code in part because she felt culturally isolated in her electrical engineering and computer programming courses in college. While women are underrepresented in STEM fields, that’s even more true for women of color. Black Girls Code is an organization that aims to support young and pre-teen girls of color to help give them the resources they need to succeed in STEM fields. Sparking an interest in technology at a young age is important to encourage girls to embrace an interest in STEM, and to show them that a career in tech is an option.

Girl Develop It (GDI)

Girl Develop It offers web and software development courses at affordable rates in a judgment-free zone. The nonprofit offers hands-on programs that teach women and non-binary people professional skills for software development, and supports a diverse network of women in STEM. GDI has charters in 60 cities across the country, but if you can’t find one in your area, you can submit a request for a new chapter where you live. The goal of the organization is to help eliminate barriers for women and non-binary individuals through live and hybrid workshops on career topics, one-on-one instructor study, and learning and networking events for members.

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech and redefining what it means to be a programmer. It includes after-school clubs, summer courses and programs, and career advice and networking support for college students. According to data from Girls Who Code, 66% of girls aged six to 12 are interested in computing programs, but that drops to 32% for girls aged 13 to 17 and down to just 4% for college freshmen. The organization focuses on keeping girls and young women engaged in STEM fields as they grow by giving them support and a community.

IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)

The IEEE is one of the largest technical professional organizations, and the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) is a branch dedicated specifically to supporting women in engineering. It’s a global network of members and volunteers committed to empowering women engineers and inspiring girls around the world to embrace a passion for engineering and science. The organization recognizes influential women in STEM, hosts workshops and technical conferences, creates networking opportunities, and offers career development programs for women in engineering.

Million Women Mentors (MWM)

To grow the ranks of women in STEM, girls and women need to see representation in the industry, and mentorship is key in building confidence to pursue STEM careers. The Million Women Mentors (MWM) organization is committed to increasing the number of women in STEM and tech careers by building a global network of mentors and mentees. The organization hopes to encourage girls and women to pursue, persist, and thrive in STEM, by connecting industry mentors with young tech hopefuls who could benefit from guidance and direction while starting out their careers.

National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a community of change leaders focused on advancing innovation by correcting underrepresentation in computing. They offer several programs both for professionals as well as for kids, teens, and young adults. The organization, which was chartered by the National Science Foundation in 2004 and was one of the first organizations to focus on women’s participation in computing fields, also offers support to companies that want to strengthen DEI in their organizations through hiring, awareness, inclusion, and systemic change. They also provide research and stats on diversity and inclusion in the tech industry for women and BIPOC technologists.

Rewriting The Code (RTC)

Rewriting The Code (RTC) has a mission to uplift and empower women in technology, with a focus on building leadership skills, mentorship, networking, and building a community of women technologists. RTC also has culturally and racially affirming groups for women of color through the Black Wings, Latinas de RTC, and Tech Natives sub-groups within the RTC community. The organization offers members different programs for entry-level and college students, as well as for those already into their careers. Members get access to mentorship opportunities, meet ups, résumé workshops, career fairs, internship opportunities, and the opportunity to attend events and conferences held by RTC.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has been around for more than seven decades, giving women engineers a voice in the industry. The organization aims to empower women to grow in their engineering careers and to bring better representation. Members gain access to a large community of women engineers, networking opportunities, professional development and career services, and they can also get discounts to several other organizations in the industry. The organization also offers several youth programs, scholarship opportunities, and professional programs for adults.

Switch

Switch, formerly known as Women 2.0, is a for-profit media and tech company that creates and delivers content, programming, products, and services designed to bring awareness to issues surrounding inequality and inclusion in the tech industry. Switch provides programs for founders trying to grow startups, and provides networking opportunities and resources on capital, hiring, workplace culture, and more. The goal is to create a more diverse and inclusive environment, especially when it comes to startups.

TechLadies

TechLadies is an organization that focuses on connecting members with jobs and opportunities in tech through an online network, a free job board, and events and resources to help members learn new skills to grow their careers. TechLadies’ more than 150,000 members receive access to a private online community, weekly webinars and a library of on-demand webinars, goal-setting challenges to stay motivated, and member-only online events. In 2022, Ada’s List joined TechLadies, bringing their nearly 10,000 members over to continue their mission to uplift women in tech.

TechWomen

TechWomen is an initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The global organization brings together women in STEM fields from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East with those working in Silicon Valley and San Francisco to build a stronger network in the industry. To join the organization, you’ll need at least two years of professional experience working in a STEM field with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. It works as a mentorship and exchange program to engage in project-based mentorships at leading companies.

Women in STEM

Women in STEM is an organization that matches female university students and professionals with high school girls to encourage them to stay engaged in STEM. The aim is to increase representation in STEM fields through one-to-one mentoring partnerships. Mentors offer mentees college and career advice to help young girls understand the path to college and a career in STEM. Women in STEM also organizes guest speakers, discussion panels, and other programs for girls in elementary, middle, and high school to get them excited about the field.

Women in Tech

Women in Tech is an organization focused on fostering DEI in STEM by globally promoting the empowerment of girls and women when it comes to education, business, digital inclusion, and advocacy. WIT offers an international mentoring program for those seeking mentorship in career and leadership, technology, startups, digital marketing, project and product management, business analytics, and UX/UI design. The mentorship program is without cost for both mentors and mentees, and it involves three individual sessions over the span of three months, where participants are given access to onboarding and training materials, as well as closed community meetings and events.

Women in Technology

Women in Technology is committed to advancing women in technology through leadership development, education initiatives, and networking and mentorship opportunities for women technologists at every level of their career. It offers the mentor-protégé program, which matches participants with experienced professionals for mentorship. Protégés are matched with four members over the course of five months, allowing mentors and mentees to connect with different professionals who can offer unique insight into the industry.

Women in Tech Council (WTC)

The Women in Tech Council (WTC) is focused on developing programs that help diversify the pipeline from high school to the C-suite. WTC offers programs on DEI, women in the C-suite, women-led startups, innovation, and inclusion. They also offer mentorship, networking, and learning opportunities for members, in addition to several events including the WTC Summit, where topics around tech talent, building careers, and talent trends are highlighted and discussed in panel sessions.

Women in Technology International (WITI)

Women in Technology International (WITI) was founded in 1989 as the International Network of Women in Technology and was later rebranded in 2001. WITI is a global organization that connects over two million women in STEM with membership in the US, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Australia, and Mexico. WITI organizes events, meetups, career coaching, speaker events, and more and the organization is dedicated to empowering innovation and building a future of inclusivity in the workplace.

Women Who Code

Women Who Code focuses on empowering women in tech and redefining the industry so women are equally represented as leaders, executives, founders, VCs, board members, and software engineers. The focus is on empowering women with the coding and programming skills needed to advance their careers, educating companies on how to promote, retain, and hire women, and establishing a global community of mentorship and support for women engineers.

Women Who Tech

Woman Who Tech focuses on bringing more equity to startups and entrepreneurial funding. For women in the tech industry who have their eye on entrepreneurship, obtaining funding for a startup company can be an uphill battle. Only 2.8% of venture capital funding goes to women-led startups, according to data from Women Who Tech. The organization offers equity-free grants to women-led startups, selecting five finalists who participate in a virtual pitch coaching and pitch series. They hope to help close the funding gap by supporting and backing women-led tech startups around the world.

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