LEWIS, the global integrated communications agency, today announces its pledge to support The Tech She Can Charter, an industry charter created to increase the number of women working in technology.

The charter aims to empower women and equip them with the tools they need to pursue careers in the technology industry. It encourages companies to make an impact by driving tangible changes to policy and education, sharing best practice, creating female role models, and tackling stereotypes to promote gender equality in technology.

Through this partnership, LEWIS will work alongside a range of global organisations across various verticals to help inspire more women into the field. As technology becomes ever more influential in our lives, the need to promote inclusivity within the industry continues to grow. It is important to ensure that those creating and developing technologies represent a true picture of the population – and that women have an equal opportunity to help achieve this goal. 

According to the PwC's 'Women in Tech: Time to Close the Gender Gap report', only three per cent of females say a career in technology is their first choice, and only 27 per cent would consider a career in tech, compared to 62 per cent of males. Moreover, fewer than one in six (16%) women have had technology suggested to them as a career, compared to one in three men (33%), demonstrating that long-standing industry stereotypes still influence who enters the field.

By supporting the charter, LEWIS and the other signatories aim to encourage impactful change across education and governmental policies and create opportunities for women to network and be mentored by successful and influential women in tech.

Sheridan Ash, Women in Tech leader at PwC and The Tech She Can Charter founder, said, “Waiting until women are entering the workforce is simply too late. We need to take coordinated action to inspire girls to consider technology roles while they are still at school. Promoting visible and relatable role models is a huge part of this, as it can be hard for girls to aspire to be something they can’t see. From creatives and designers, to coders and data scientists, there are many successful women working in technology across different levels.”

Ruth Jones, managing director of LEWIS UK, said, “Inspiring young women to consider technology roles as a career path is imperative to changing mindsets. There is some great female talent across the technology industry and at LEWIS, but the gender industry ratios will only change if we can break down the early barriers.  LEWIS is immensely proud to be pledging our support for The Tech She Can Charter. We look forward to taking an active role in driving the change.”