In almost all industries there exists some form of gender disparity. Whether it shows itself in a pay gap or in the absence of women in the boardroom, major industries still have a lot of work to do. Within finance, the Financial Times demonstrated that, among 50 of the world’s biggest banks, just 25.5% of senior roles were occupied by women in 2016. This represented an increase of just 1.8% since 2014.

The problem becomes even more acute within the technology industry. Only 7% of partners at top 100 venture capital firms are women, and only 11% of executive positions at Silicon Valley companies are held by women.

With the advent of disruptive industries such as blockchain and IoT (Internet of Things), there is surely an opportunity for these new, innovative spaces to be filled with women not restricted by the barriers that traditional industry erects.

However, far from this being the case, the blockchain industry is at least as, if not more, guilty than traditional industries of failing to tackle gender inequality. Indeed, the North American Bitcoin Conference hosted just 3 female speakers out of 88.

Despite this, these industries are still young, and there is always scope for new industries to crop up in the near future. Measures that can help alleviate these disparities could include:

Early Involvement

This is particularly important for new industries where progression can be rapid. An active drive to recruiting women at the early stages increases the likelihood of women reaching these levels and thus establishing both an exclusive culture and realistic role models for others.

Group Initiatives

For some, it can be daunting to enter new fields, particularly in tech. The creation of women’s groups can help others feel secure and offers an obvious source of support and advice for growing within the industry.

Educating Young Women and Girls

This is all about mapping out a clear and attractive career path for young women. This could help be achieved by anything from including female technology experts in children’s books to providing activities that allow girls to explore technology as a hobby from an early age. Most importantly, young women and girls need to know exactly what innovative and disruptive technologies are and represent, so they can begin to enter their thinking for their future.

Release Pay Gap Figures

A policy that has already been introduced by the U.K. government, the releasing of salary information is a great step for increasing transparency around this issue and forcing employers to take it seriously. Doing this voluntarily can allow companies to properly demonstrate the ways they are improving.