Global Tech Gender Gap Study Reveals Disconnect Between Perception and Reality

Global Survey Exposes Gender Perception Divide in Tech Industry

Acronis has launched its “2025 FOMO at Work: The Opportunity Gap Between Men and Women in Tech” report, presenting findings from an international survey of over 650 respondents across eight countries. According to the report, there exists a significant misalignment between perception and actual progress for women in technology sectors worldwide.

Methodology and Geographic Scope

The comprehensive study, unveiled October 22 at MSP Global in Tarragona, Spain, expands Acronis’ research footprint to include voices from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Japan, and Switzerland. Sources indicate the survey captures perspectives from the real demographics of tech, where women reportedly constitute approximately 29 percent of the global workforce.

Diverging Perspectives on Opportunity and Advancement

The report reveals a stark contrast in how men and women perceive career advancement opportunities within the technology sector. Analysis suggests that while men across many markets are more likely to believe opportunities for advancement are equal, women consistently point to systemic barriers related to visibility, bias, and work-life constraints.

Regional variations highlight that equity solutions cannot follow a one-size-fits-all approach. In southern European regions including Spain’s Catalonia, respondents cited cultural expectations and institutional norms as persistent challenges. Meanwhile, in northern Europe and Asia, the perception gap often centers around leadership pipelines and unwritten promotion pathways., according to technology trends

The Shift from Mentorship to Advocacy

One of the report’s key findings indicates that women in technology are increasingly prioritizing advocacy over traditional mentorship. While advice and coaching remain valuable, the survey suggests they alone cannot dismantle structural obstacles. According to the findings, women increasingly want leaders—particularly male allies—to use their influence, power, and sponsorship to actively create opportunities.

In influence-driven sectors like cybersecurity and cloud services, advocacy demonstrates outsized impact. Analysts suggest that while a mentor may provide guidance, an advocate will ensure inclusion in candidate shortlists, push for leadership positions, and combat invisibility within organizations.

Structural Solutions for Lasting Change

The report positions itself as more than just an identification of problems, instead sketching a pathway toward meaningful solutions. Findings indicate that organizations building structured advocacy frameworks coupled with transparent promotion metrics are better positioned to close opportunity gaps more rapidly.

According to Alona Geckler, Acronis’ SVP of business operations, “Closing the gender gap requires more than awareness—it requires infrastructure. The kind that embeds equity into how we operate everyday.”

Broader Implications for Tech Ecosystem

For channel organizations, managed service providers, vendors, and systems integrators, the findings validate what many industry observers have sensed for years: representation constitutes only part of the solution. Lasting change, the report states, emerges when inclusion becomes operationally embedded into talent systems, leadership pipelines, compensation structures, and internal norms.

In fast-evolving domains including artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud, and cybersecurity, companies that embed equity into their organizational architecture reportedly experience stronger retention, deeper innovation, and better alignment across global teams. The channel’s future success, analysts suggest, depends not only on service excellence but on who is empowered to architect that excellence.

The complete “FOMO at Work” findings are available through Acronis’ resource center.

References & Further Reading

This article draws from multiple authoritative sources. For more information, please consult:

• https://www.acronis.com/en/resource-center/resource/fomo-at-work-the-opportunity-gap-between-men-and-women-in-tech/
• https://pages.thechannelco.com/inclusive-leadership-newsletter-signup.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_of_the_Scottish_Parliament
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equity_(finance)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronis
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perception

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