The representation of women in the world of new technologies and AI is structurally low and the gap in relation to men is even getting worse in the European Union. The female presence in the sector fell from 22% in 2022 to 19% in 2025, indicates the new study Women in Tech and AI in Europe, by Mckinsey & Company, which evaluates female representation in technology and Artificial Intelligence. Portugal follows this trend, highlighting a misalignment between training and presence in the sector.
A greater gap between women and men occurs in top positions: only 8% of senior leadership positions in technology are held by women.
The study comes as McKinsey estimates that the adoption of sovereign AI could add more than €480 billion annually to the European economy by 2030. However, realizing this potential will depend on mobilizing qualified talent and expanding the technology leadership base, including women.
Despite an increase in female participation in STEM courses, which currently represent 33% of undergraduate degrees and 39% of doctorates in these areas, this evolution does not translate into a proportional presence in the technological job market. Furthermore, only 13% of management positions in technology are held by women, a percentage that drops to 8% in management and c-level positions.
The study also identifies a structural effect of AI on the redistribution of functions. Women are overrepresented in areas such as product management (39%) and design (53%), which represent only a small fraction of the technology workforce and where demand has declined with the automation of tasks, meaning women are more likely to be replaced. In contrast, growth is concentrated in areas such as AI, data, infrastructure and software engineering, where female representation remains significantly lower.
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