Wales is being transformed by digital technologies, yet a portion of the population is still being excluded from shaping that transformation. By reprogramming the future, we will unlock the untapped brilliance of women and girls, creating an economy that works for everyone.
Download Full BrochureAt Her Place, we talk a lot about dismantling barriers. But real change happens when people come together — across sectors, across institutions, across Wales. That's why collaborating with the Wales Women in STEM Network and the University of South Wales on Reprogramming the Future has felt so significant. This isn't just a report. It's a shared commitment, from educators, employers, researchers and advocates, to do things differently. Together.
Behind every barrier is potential untapped, innovation lost, and futures diverted. Futures that could help shape a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous Wales for us all. That's what drives this work — and why we're proud to be part of it.
Wales' digital technology sector is worth an estimated £8.5 billion. And yet only a quarter of that workforce is made up of women. Just 5% of leadership roles across the UK tech sector are held by women. And more than 70% of the jobs most at risk from automation and AI? Held by women.
Those numbers matter. Not just as statistics, but as a signal that something needs to change — and fast.
It's rarely one thing. It's the stereotypes picked up before a girl even reaches secondary school. It's the absence of female role models in senior tech roles. It's the workplaces that weren't designed with women in mind, and the career paths that assume everyone takes the same straight line from A to B.
It's the skills gap — Wales has a real shortage in areas like AI and cyber, fields where women make up just 17% of the workforce — and the cultural norms that tell women their ambitions in these spaces are somehow unusual.
The roadmap shines a light on all of this. But more importantly, it shows what's possible when we do things differently.
One of the things that makes this roadmap stand out is who it's asking to step up. Not just women and girls — but employers, educators, policymakers and communities. Because the responsibility for change doesn't sit with the people who've been excluded. It sits with all of us.
That means businesses genuinely committing to flexible working, mentorship and fair progression. It means schools challenging the idea that tech "isn't for girls" from the very start. It means funding routes and apprenticeships that open doors beyond traditional university pathways. And it means recognising that diverse teams genuinely do build better products, and that an economy which includes everyone is a stronger one.
The roadmap also highlights women already working across the full spectrum of digital technology roles in Wales — role models whose stories can help the next generation see what's possible for them. Alongside this, it spotlights businesses already doing the work to build inclusive, equitable workplaces.
There's momentum here. The hope is to expand this work into other STEM sectors — engineering, biomedical, manufacturing — building a joined-up picture of what gender equity in Welsh industry could really look like.
Wales is being transformed by digital technology. The question is whether all of us get to be part of shaping that transformation — or whether half the population continues to be designed out of it.
We think the answer is clear. Read the full roadmap at Reprogramming the Future and see how you can play your part.