Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech

Demand for tech professionals is expected to increase substantially over the next decade, and increasing the number of women of color in tech will be critical to building and maintaining a competitive workforce. Despite years of efforts to increase the diversity of the tech workforce, women of color have remained underrepresented, and the numbers of some groups of women of color have even declined. Even in cases where some groups of women of color may have higher levels of representation, data show that they still face significant systemic challenges in advancing to positions of leadership. Research evidence suggests that structural and social barriers in tech education, the tech workforce, and in venture capital investment disproportionately and negatively affect women of color. Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech uses current research as well as information obtained through four public information-gathering workshops to provide recommendations to a broad set of stakeholders within the tech ecosystem for increasing recruitment, retention, and advancement of women of color. This report identifies gaps in existing research that obscure the nature of challenges faced by women of color in tech, addresses systemic issues that negatively affect outcomes for women of color in tech, and provides guidance for transforming existing systems and implementing evidence-based policies and practices to increase the success of women of color in tech. Table of Contents Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Literature Review of Research on Girls and Women of Color in Computing, Science, and Technology 3 Challenging Assumptions Around the Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement of Women of Color in Higher Education 4 Increasing Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement of Women of Color in the Tech Industry 5 The Role of Government in Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women of Color in Tech 6 Alternative Pathways for Women of Color in Tech and the Role of Professional Societies Appendix A: Alliances Focused on Women of Color and Underrepresentation in Tech Appendix B: Professional Organizations and Programs Focused on Women of Color and Underrepresentation in Tech Appendix C: Workshop Agendas Appendix D: Committee Member Biographies