KUALA LUMPUR (June 16): Globally, just 30% of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers are women, and 57% of women use the internet compared to 62% of men.

Citing the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), financial data and software company PitchBook said that in the US, both the private sector and the government are addressing the problem by expanding access to broadband.

The firm said during Covid-19, the importance of internet access became abundantly clear as schools, workplaces, government and health care went remote.

PitchBook said when women are missing from decision-making positions in the workplace, the results affect consumers, especially women consumers.

The firm said safety tests performed in cars use dummies shaped like the average man from the 1970s, and those dummies do not account for differences between men's and women's bodies.

It added that in February 2022, more than 60 members of Congress urged Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to advocate for the use of female crash test dummies in vehicle safety tests.

The firm highlighted that not all organisations are able to make strides for women in tech at the pace necessary for substantial change.

It said as women rise to take on leadership positions in government and business, they frequently encounter systemic bias and spaces where women's voices haven't historically been a part of the conversation.