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The French women in tech you should keep an eye on

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Of all professional sectors, the tech industry is certainly one that has been for long impervious to parity. Indeed, tech and other similar fields have been struggling to attract women and have faced issues holding the working ones back. Even in the Nordic countries, who can proudly affirm being the most advanced in gender equality, there is still work to do in tech industries. For example, Swedish women represent 20% of the sector’s workforce, a figure that is very close to the EU average of 17,5 %. In this article, we will have a look on where is the French Tech in terms of parity, and who are the women to keep an eye on.

Women are still underrepresented in the French Tech industry

In France, the situation seems to be the same. Tyto PR just released a ranking of the 100 most influential French tech personalities, among which are only 21 women.

In the latest report, “French Tech Next 40/120“, women represent 42% of the startup workforce, but only 28% of the total Directors and members of Executive Committees. If these figures are more promising than the whole Tech sector, they clearly show the remaining gender imbalance in the field.

The same report states that, out of 120 French startups, women founded only eight. If the number remains small, it is important to highlight these women and their careers to support change in the Tech industry.

Women founders present in the last French Tech Next40/120

A situation that meant to changes in the coming years

However, this situation should evolve in the coming years, thanks to increasing amounts of measures taken and the emergence of influential female figures in the tech industry, shaping the sector and tracing the upcoming generations’ path. Recently in France, women in tech have been brought up to the light by initiatives such as the Sista Collective, acting for more gender diversity in the sector. They recently released a selection of promising women in the industry.

Seven influential women with inspiring backgrounds and achievements

Here is a selection of women that shape the French Tech industry and above. Fortunately, this selection is non-exhaustive and tailored for our Nordic audience:

Axelle Lemaire: former secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Axelle Lemaire gained recognition for having carried a law promoting open public data, net neutrality, and increased data protection of Internet users. Having left the public scene, she is now the Head of Terra Numerata.
Kat Borlongan: specialist in open innovation and the digital ecosystem in general. She was appointed in 2018 as the director of La French Tech, a program commissioned by the French government to support French start-ups.
Lucie Basch: in 2016, this former engineer co-founded with Danish developers the anti-waste app Too Good to Go and gained the title ‘Female entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Journée de la femme Digitale. The start-up just launched in Sweden this year is based at Epicenter Stockholm.
Delphine O: Ambassador, General Secretary of the Generation Equality Forum 2021.
Roxanne Varza: previously the head of Microsoft start-up activities in France, she is now the director of Station F, the largest start-up incubator in Europe.
Samia Ghozlane: at the head of the Grande Ecole du Numerique, a network of innovative digital formations across France, Samia Ghozlane works the attractiveness of tech for women.
Caroline Ramade: the co-founder of 50inTech, she is a fervent advocate for equality in tech, which she believes will be achieved in 2050 by all means.