Along the same lines, TechCentral reports that 27% of women in tech perceive the glass ceiling as more unbreakable than ever. Equal pay and benefits, as well as a clear career progression outline, were most frequently requested, with flexible work options and an "all-inclusive workplace" not far behind. More than half of surveyed women did not feel they were taken seriously because of their gender, though this percentage was on the decline. However, more than 60% of respondents held the opinion that gender stereotypes were to blame for the continuation of inequality, and stated that male bosses perpetuated the problem by favoring male employees. (See WiCipedia: Ivanka Trump's CES Keynote & Male Bosses Promote Men More.) Figure 1: It just keeps getting higher and higher (Source: Pixabay)

Over in the UK, the stats are even worse, especially for venture capitalism. Crunchbase explained that only 15% of UK investors are female, and that funding for female-founded companies has actually gone down by .4% in the past three years. Most notably, half of women in tech in Europe report experiencing gender-related discrimination in the past year. While there's no doubt that many are working to equalize the VC and tech systems that reign, it's no easy task and it will take longer than we would like. (See WiCipedia: Global female income hits all-time high, continues to rise.)

While we often associate artificial intelligence with Silicon Valley, over in Bulgaria a group called Humans in the Loop is using machine learning to supply refugees with digital skills they can bring to the table in their new countries. ZDNET profiled the group, which works with refugees from conflict zones, and has so far trained roughly 2,000 people in digital skills, specifically in machine learning, so they can find work. The skills translate into jobs that are often a particularly good fit for women who need to work from home to balance familial obligations. The jobs often focus on facial recognition software and photo labeling, and training also includes learning English and other computer skills. (See WiCipedia: The AI Diversity Struggle, Companies Aren't Prioritizing Equality & New-Mom Decisions.)

— Eryn Leavens, Special Features & Copy Editor, Light Reading