If Europe increases the share of women working in ICT to about 45% by 2027, it will boost GDP by at least €260 billion, according to the European Commission.[1]
Despite making up nearly half the workforce, today only 1 in 5 ICT specialists in the EU is female[2]. Adding to this is a high attrition rate, with women citing significant pay gaps, difficulty climbing the promotional ladder, and issues finding a satisfactory work-life balance as reasons for leaving the industry. There is also a lack of sufficient role models.
All at a time when the tech industry needs women more than ever, as gender-diverse perspectives are critical in driving innovation that reflects real-world users.
This topic is discussed at Orange OpenTech 2025. “Gender diversity improves performance and competitiveness. We cannot do away with 50% of talent, especially at a time of major transformation where we need all the skills we can get,” says Henri d’Agrain, Director General at Cigref (Club Informatique des Grandes Entreprises Françaises), a non-profit French association that supports major companies and public administrations in their digital transformation.
The absence of women in technical roles also has a detrimental impact on business outcomes. “Studies from McKinsey and MIT have shown that where there is parity, companies show greater profitability and productivity – and are more competitive,” says D’Agrain.
A 2023 McKinsey study found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 39% more likely to outperform their peers financially, up from 15% in 2015.[3]
Unplugging the gender skills gap
According to research by Gartner[4], only 15% of IT leaders believe their current workforce is prepared for future needs. This significant gap directly impacts enterprises’ ability to deliver on their transformation goals.
“All the members of our organization are lacking skills,” says D’Agrain. “We cannot have, for economic, social or societal reasons, a world that excludes women. Gender balance builds resilience and creativity in the face of complex technology challenges”.
Céline Bergez, HR Director at Orange, agrees. “It is a need for skills and experience that increases the need for women in tech,” she explains.
The big issue is that we are all accountable for keeping women out of tech, and this is a hurdle that needs to be overcome through awareness and education. We all have this bias that scientific and digital technical jobs are for men. D’Agrain and Bergez agree that technical education for girls must start early, within a safe, supportive environment, so they do not give up their studies.
Orange is bringing more talent into digital
Orange is proud to be a trailblazer in encouraging women to take up technology careers. In 2020, it launched the Hello Women program. Running in over 20 countries, it focuses on attracting women to digital roles, from raising awareness in schools and higher education to supporting professional reskilling and providing mentoring to foster leadership. It works to address the gender gap through education, partnerships and internal policy enhancements. There are also more than 400 mentors supporting and guiding the initiative. The program has been a huge success. Since 2020, this program has supported over 40,000 girls and women to start careers in tech.
Orange is also actively working to improve retention of women in the IT sector. The Orange Perspective initiative is designed to help all employees reskill in data, AI, and security by offering workshops and training courses. It comes on the back of Orange Innovation having some 8,000 employees, and initially, only 14% of its employees were women in technical roles. This has since risen to 32%.
A pathway to gender balance
Both Orange and Cigref share the same goal – greater gender balance in the tech industry to drive innovation, enhance smarter decision-making, and create more inclusive products and services that better serve society.
Bergez, however, concludes that there is still much work to be done and hopes the world does not start moving backwards, citing some countries that have reversed women’s rights. “I am looking for more progress when it comes to gender diversity and gender equality, she said. “When you set objectives, it is a way of measuring if you are achieving your objective”.
[1] European Union Digital Strategy https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/women-digital
[2] Eurostat https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250708-2
[3] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact
[4] Gartner Essential Skills to Deliver on Strategic IT Priorities 2025 https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/essential-skills-for-strategic-it-priorities#:~:text=Attract%20and%20retain%20talent%20by,for%20upcoming%20challenges%20and%20opportunities.
