Unfinished Business:

Women in the Silicon Valley

Economy

www.womenofsv.org

Women of Silicon Valley

A regional collaboration about the changing role of women in the SV

economy and community

“Achieving the promise of the new economy”

Twin Revolutions Are Shaping Our Lives

Social ChangeWomen’s Workforce

Participation

Economic ChangeNew Economy

New Economy: More Than Dot-Coms

Workforce Participation Nearly Universal

Our “Unfinished Business”

We have gone partway…..

...We have not realigned our workplaces, our communities, and ourselves fundamentally to new realities and opportunities.

I. The Whole Life Challenge

Home

Work Community

Time Is Valued Job Quality

Women Want

#1 Time for Life#2 Good Co-Worker

Relations #3 Good Salary/Income#4 Challenging Work

Women Value Flexibility Over Perks

Self-Employment Creates Flexibility, Customization

13% 15%

42%45% 44%

56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Work at/ nearhome

Work part-time "Very satisfied"with work life

Women employees Self-employed women

II. Going to the Top

Women Are Leading….

…But Remain Rare at Top of Valley Corporations

Women in Tech Perceive Gender Barriers

III. Women Entrepreneurs

Self-Employment Creates Flexibility, Customization

13% 15%

42%45% 44%

56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Work at/ nearhome

Work part-time "Very satisfied"with work life

Women employees Self-employed women

IV. Technical Women

“Invention depends fundamentally on creativity. And creativity, I believe, springs from a diversity of good people talking about the possibilities.”

-Carly Fiorina, Hewlett-Packard

Women Earn Small Share of Tech Degrees

Girls Prepared in Math/Science…

52% 51% 49%48%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

AP Math AP Science

Male Female

…But Show Low Interest in Tech Careers

46%

23%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Want to work in technology fields

Male Female

Source: A.T. Kearney, student surveys

Tech Training Beyond High School Pays Off

V. Region Has Failed At Child Care

67% of mothers with children under 18 are employed

63% of all women believe region has failed at child care

Childcare Impacts Women’s Workforce Participation

36%

19%

48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Cite Family/Childcare Responsibilitiesas Significant Barrier to Work

Currently Have On/Near-Site Childcare

Rate On/Near-Site Childcare asExtremely or Very Important in a Job

Source: Women of Silicon Valley Survey

VI. Low-Wage Women

One-fifth of women working full-time

in Silicon Valley

earn less than $25,000 each year.

Regional Reality Today

Low-Wage Jobs Are Growing, Held Disproportionately by Women

71%

29%

men women

High Wage Jobs (average pay $72,000)

39%

61%

men women

Low Wage Jobs (average pay $22,000)

• Engineering & Science Managers

• General Managers/Top Executives

• Electrical Engineers

• Computer Engineers

• Systems Analysts

• Computing Support Specialists

• General Office Clerks

• Receptionists & Information Clerks

• Salespersons, Retail

• Guards & Watch Guards

• Cashiers

• Janitors, Cleaners

Substantial Barriers to Career Advancement

52%

47%

46%

44%

30%

17%

30%

35%

25%

10%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Education Level

Housingcost/location

Family/ChildResponsibilities

Lack TechnicalSkills

Unable to SpeakEnglish

High School or Less College or More

“Significant” Barriers to Career Advancement

Social Innovation Required

Social ChangeWomen’s Workforce

Participation

Economic ChangeNew Economy

Innovation

Six Commitments to Innovation

#1 Redefine “success” as the whole life approach—work life, home life, community life

#2 Customize Work to Fit Our Lives

“The new economy offers the opportunity to shape work to fit our lives, rather than our lives to fit our work. We would be mad to miss this chance.”

Charles Handy, Author

#3 Make Women Full Partners in the Tech Revolution

Stimulate girls’ interest in technology

Create alternative pathways to tech careers

Support women tech professionals, tech entrepreneurs

Pioneer work environments where women succeed

#4 Reinvent Family Supports Aligned with New Realities

“Creating family supports, such as child and elder care, is as fundamental to the new economy infrastructure as fiber optic cable and fast computers.”

Linda Tarr Whelan, Center for Policy Alternatives

Six Commitments

#5 Raise up women in low-wage positions, ensuring that their work pays and leads somewhere

#6 Recreate civic life, for both men and women

We’ve Been Here Before….

Unfinished Business: Women in the Silicon Valley Economy

www.womenofsv.org