Women in Tech Taskforce
Information about the Women in Tech Taskforce including its role and members.
Background
Women aren’t being given a fair shot in tech - whether that’s getting into the sector, staying in it, progressing into senior roles, or returning after time away bringing up their families. If we don’t address these issues now, we’ll still be having this conversation in decades’ time and that isn’t good enough.
In December 2025, the Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, launched the Women in Tech Taskforce – a new national effort to ensure women can enter, thrive, and lead across the UK’s tech sector.
The Taskforce will advise government on how to better support diversity in tech and ensure the UK accesses the full talent pool, market opportunities, and innovation capacity needed for economic growth.
It will identify and dismantle barriers to education, training, and career progression. It will develop practical solutions for government and industry to implement side by side, shape policy that encourages diversity and levels the playing field, and drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth by expanding opportunities for women across the UK.
Membership
The founding members of the Women in Tech Taskforce are:
- Liz Kendall: Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE: Founder, Stemettes and Women in Tech Envoy
- Allison Kirkby: Chief Executive, BT Group
- Anna Brailsford MBE: CEO and Co-Founder, Code First Girls
- Francesca Carlesi: CEO, Revolut UK
- Professor Louise Archer OBE: UCL Institute of Education
- Karen Blake MBE: Tech Inclusion Strategist, Former Co-CEO of the Tech Talent Charter
- Sue Daley OBE: Director Tech and Innovation, techUK
- Vinous Ali: Deputy Executive Director, StartUp Coalition
- Charlene Hunter MBE: Founder and CEO, Coding Black Females
- Dame Hayaatun Sillem DBE: Founder and CEO, Argentic Associates
- Kate Bell: Assistant General Secretary at TUC
- Amelia Miller: Co-Founder and CEO, Ivee
- Dr Ismini Vasileiou: Associate Professor at De Montfort University and Director of the East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster
- Emma O’Dwyer: Director of Public Policy, Uber
Women in Tech Envoy
As Women in Tech Envoy, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is responsible for leading the Women in Tech Taskforce alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary of State.
Terms of reference
Call for Evidence
The Taskforce ran a Call for Evidence on ‘Building a Future Tech Sector That Works for Everyone’ in early 2026.
The call for evidence received over 500 responses from across the tech sector, including people in technical and leadership roles, founders, academics, students, charities and organisations. The responses provide valuable evidence on the barriers affecting the entry, progression and leadership of women and other underrepresented groups in tech, as well as the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies.
The responses will be used to inform the Taskforce’s work and ensure its policy recommendations are grounded in evidence and real insights from those working in the sector.
The Economic Impact of Equal Opportunities in the Digital Economy
The Taskforce also helped commission an independent report to quantify the potential economic gains that could be unlocked if barriers facing under-represented groups, unrelated to skills or productivity, were fully removed within the UK digital economy.
Contact details
Members of the public can share views and experiences with the Taskforce by email at DiversityInTech@dsit.gov.uk.