At this year’s Women of Silicon Roundabout conference, we asked our attendees to guess what percentage of employees in the UK tech sector are female. You might be surprised to see some of the answers!

According to a study by PwC, only 15% of employees working in STEM roles in the UK are female. Additionally, only 5% of leadership positions in the technology industry are held by women.

Here's what the attendees at 2018's conference guessed:

Thankfully, the number of women entering STEM fields in a variety of areas is increasing. And this extends to the education pipeline. Data from this year’s A-level students showed that the number of female students taking STEM-related subjects has almost doubled – increasing from 6.5% to 11.8% in the last five years alone.

However, despite this increase in girls studying STEM subjects, there is still progress to be made. PwC’s study goes on to reveal that of the female University and A-level students in their research, only 27% said they would consider a career in technology, compared to 61% of males, and only 3% said it was their first choice.

This suggests there is still work to be done to change the perception of girls in tech in different levels of the education system. Earlier this year we talked to Bloomberg’s Dr. Amanda Stent about the best way to dispel myths around women in tech and promote women to important positions in technology. Read the full interview here.

Women of Silicon Roundabout is one of Europe’s largest tech conferences. The event is born out of a need for greater diversity and inclusion in the technology sector, and gives women in tech the tools needed to supercharge their careers.

The two-day conference brings over 150 sessions and 200 speakers, giving 4,000 attendees the opportunity to be inspired, learn new skills and get ready to smash the glass ceiling - roll on 2019!

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