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Around 63% of women in tech feel that work-life balance obstacles “significantly” or “extremely” affect their career advancement.gettyCareer advancement for women in tech is getting harder, and Big Tech’s corporate policy decisions might be the culprit. A recent whitepaper titled “FOMO at work: The opportunity gap between men and women in tech” from global tech company Acronis found that only 60% of women in tech believe they have equal access to development opportunities, compared to 75% of men. Additionally, 63% of women reported that work-life balance obstacles “significantly” or “extremely” affect their career advancement, and nearly half indicated that bias is one of the biggest barriers to reaching leadership roles.

Google’s Retreat From Women TechmakersBig Tech companies reinforce this opportunity gap as they scale back support for women’s advancement programs. For instance, CNN reported that Google notified members by email last month that it planned to offload its Women Techmakers career resources program to the nonprofit Technovation. Since the announcement, the company has removed years of videos and content from the program it launched in 2012, and Women Techmakers is losing its association with one of the industry’s largest players. In response, women in the program said they felt abandoned by Big Tech companies like Google. Vassiliki Dalakiari, a former Women Techmakers ambassador and AI research and development manager, told CNN, “We need to keep speaking up until we are heard. Google helped us do that, and they decided to quietly turn their back on us.”

Return-to-Office Mandates Disproportionately Hurt Women in TechThe ongoing wave of five-day-a-week return-to-office mandates from Big Tech companies, including Amazon, Salesforce and Dell, may also be a contributing factor to declining opportunities and worsening work-life balance among women in tech. According to IT service management company Ensono’s “Speak Up 2025” report, recent return-to-office (RTO) policies have worsened work-related stress, flexibility and work-life balance for women. The most significant challenges women face with RTO include balancing caregiving responsibilities, commute-related stress, handling non-job responsibilities (such as cleaning up after meetings and unloading the office dishwasher), difficulty concentrating in open office environments, and feeling unsafe due to microaggressions and other forms of gender discrimination.

These factors create a compounding effect that pushes women out of tech careers. Ensono’s report found that approximately one in five women in tech anticipate leaving their current role within the year due to dissatisfaction, largely driven by RTO policies. These policy shifts help explain why only 60% of women believe they have equal access to opportunities and why, according to MIT’s 2023 “The Gender Gap in STEM” report, women comprise less than a third of the global STEM workforce. The playing field remains uneven, and recent corporate policy shifts suggest conditions may get worse before they get better.

Empowering Women in Tech Through Flexible WorkTo close the opportunity gap for women in tech, companies may consider increasing work flexibility rather than limiting it through company-wide RTO mandates. As previously reported, while remote work can sometimes hold back women early in their careers, it’s often essential for working mothers to stay in the workforce. Over half of working mothers report shouldering the majority of caregiving and work responsibilities, and most working parents say flexible work policies would provide them with crucial support.

MORE FOR YOUAdditionally, according to SHRM’s “Labor Force Snapshot” report, remote work is vital for empowering workers with disabilities who face significant barriers to office-based work and in-person job opportunities. These findings underscore the need to move away from one-size-fits-all approaches like rigid RTO mandates and instead employ active-listening strategies that recognize and respond to the individual needs of all employees.

Expanding Corporate Women’s Initiatives and Inclusivity PracticesTo empower more women in tech, companies should expand, not scale back, women’s initiatives and inclusivity programs. According to MIT’s report, fostering inclusive workplaces requires addressing unconscious biases through robust diversity initiatives, mentorship programs, and flexible work policies that help women stay in STEM careers. For instance, taking steps like prioritizing diversity in hiring and promotion to increase women’s representation at all leadership levels can create visible role models who inspire future generations. Investing in skills training, mentorship and networking events can also further build confidence and capabilities among women seeking to advance in tech or other STEM fields.

Rolling back women’s programs and enforcing rigid office mandates pushes talented women in tech out the door. And the cost isn’t just moral, it’s financial. According to McKinsey data, companies whose executive teams consist of at least 30% women are more likely to outperform financially than those with 30% or fewer. Thus, organizations that expand career growth opportunities, embrace flexibility, and build inclusive policies don’t just do right by women; they position themselves to win. The future of tech depends on strengthening gender equity, and so do the careers of countless women ready to lead the industry forward.