If you’ve worked in tech or finance, you know the drill. There’s always a ‘go-to’ person who gets the big projects, leads the meetings, and, often enough, earns the promotions.

But if you look around, how often is that person a woman? And when women are being promoted or being made visible, how often is their work front and centre? Not nearly enough. That’s the visibility gap in a nutshell — and it’s holding back women in tech, big time, writes Natalie Bowers , founder of niche tech recruiters Bowers Partnership.

The gritty truth: women's work isn't always seen

The visibility gap isn’t just a quiet, little oversight; it’s more like the office’s unspoken secret.

In my years of recruiting, I’ve seen plenty of situations where talented women are overlooked for major projects, despite clearly being the right fit.

Too often, their work gets lumped into the background, and they are left without credit.

A woman can develop a game-changing solution, get the project across the finish line, and…barely get so much as a nod in the organisation’s next update!

The wealth and investments sector is leading the way on female tech leadership roles

Interestingly, within the investments and wealth sector, many IT director and Chief Technology Officer roles are now held by women — a promising sign that some sectors are leading the way.

Often, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) principles are behind this shift, as companies increasingly prioritise diversity as part of their social and governance goals.

But across the broader UK tech landscape, women still represent only 5% of leadership positions.

While some sectors may be setting a positive example, there’s much more to be done.

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