New research from ISACA suggests women in technology are seeing career progression at similar rates to men, but are less likely to believe they have authority over key business decisions, including strategy, hiring and purchasing.
ISACA’s Tech Workplace and Culture 2026 study found 73% of women received a salary increase or promotion in the past two years, compared with 71% of men. However, women were less likely to report having sufficient authority over their contribution to company strategy (53% versus 66% of men), personnel decisions (48% versus 59%), and purchasing decisions (32% versus 52%).
Jo Stewart-Rattray, Oceania Ambassador at ISACA, said the findings indicate that advancement through roles does not necessarily translate into influence.
“It’s encouraging to see women progressing in technology, but progression also needs to come with a voice in the decisions that shape an organisation,” said Ms Stewart-Rattray. “These findings suggest we need to look not only at whether women are moving through the ranks, but whether they have the same opportunity to influence strategy and decision-making.”
The study also reported differences in workplace experience between men and women. While majorities in both groups reported positive experiences, 52% of women said they were satisfied with the culture at their organisation, compared with 65% of men. Women were also less satisfied with their career progression (67% versus 73%) and job security (59% versus 69%).
ISACA’s research found women were more likely to report barriers when entering the IT sector. Almost one in three women (30%) said they encountered gender or diversity bias or stereotypes at the start of their career, compared with 4% of men. Half of women (50%) believed pay inequality exists between men and women in technology, compared with 25% of men. Women were also more likely to identify self-doubt or lack of confidence as an entry challenge (26% versus 14%).
“No single one of these experiences tells the whole story, but we shouldn’t underestimate their cumulative impact,” said Ms Stewart-Rattray. “Encountering bias when you enter the profession, feeling less secure in your role and questioning whether you are being equally valued can all shape how someone experiences their career over time.
“The responsibility can’t simply be on women to become more resilient or confident in managing those barriers. Organisations need to look at the environment they are creating and whether women have the same opportunity to feel valued, supported and able to succeed.”
The report comes as organisations continue to invest in programmes intended to support women’s advancement. Almost two-thirds (62%) of respondents said their employer has a programme encouraging the promotion of more women into leadership roles, while 65% said programmes supporting the hiring and promotion of women have a positive impact on organisational success. However, the proportion reporting their employer has a programme specifically encouraging the hiring of more women into technology roles fell from 63% in 2024 to 53% in 2026.
Across the technology workforce overall, 76% of respondents said they are satisfied with their current job and 71% are satisfied with their career progression. Despite this, 65% said they would consider changing jobs within the next two years, while 75% said retaining talent is a concern for their organisation. Better career prospects (29%), higher compensation (28%) and more interesting work (23%) were the leading reasons respondents gave for leaving their previous job.
ISACA’s research also pointed to continued workplace pressure, with 59% of technology professionals saying they have experienced work-related stress or burnout. That figure rose to 64% for women, compared with 57% for men. Respondents identified heavy workloads (48%), lack of resources (43%), difficult or unsupportive management (42%), lack of appreciation (40%) and workplace culture (38%) as leading contributors.
Hybrid work was reported as the most common work arrangement among respondents (41%), followed by office or on-site work (35%) and remote work (24%). More than six in 10 (61%) said their current work arrangement increases job satisfaction.
Despite the gaps reported, 71% of respondents expected the proportion of women in the technology workforce to increase over the next five years.
“There are encouraging signs in these findings. Women are progressing in their careers and the majority of respondents expect women’s representation in technology to grow over the next five years,” said Ms Stewart-Rattray.
“The focus now should be on making sure that progress is reflected in women’s experience throughout their careers. That means creating workplaces where women have the same opportunities to contribute, lead and influence, and can play an equal role in shaping the future of technology.”
