The UK technology sector is growing at an incredible speed. It's the third biggest industry in the world and is worth around £186 billion. Better still, the tech space is growing at a pace that's double the speed of the economy's growth overall. The only problem? There's still a major issue with gender in the technology sector. In fact, today, only around 17% of individuals in tech are female. 

Although worldwide progress is being made towards gender equality in tech, there's still a way to go. Men continue to receive more money for similar roles, and women are 21% less likely to be promoted than their male counterparts. 

The good news is that some companies are leading the way towards a more diverse environment for all genders. Here, we're looking at the top 10 organisations for women to work in and what makes them so special. 

Ultimate Software

Finally, leading human capital management software provider, Ultimate Software, is regularly listed as one of the best places to work for women in Tech. The company also always performs well when it comes to employee ranking and reviews. 

Currently, women make up about half of Ultimate's workforce in total. What's more, they hold about 50% of all frontline manager positions too. Female employees are also encouraged to join the brand's Women in Leadership group, which promotes inclusivity, respect, equality, and care for all individuals in the workplace. Ultimate Software also offers an annual Athena Scholarship to help develop and inspire the next generation of female leaders too. 

IBM

One of the most moving companies in the gender diversity and equality environment IBM is an excellent example of inclusion done right. According to the CEO and President of the brand, Ginni Rometty, diversity isn't just a priority for IBM; it's something that the company sees as crucial to its economic success. That’s probably why IBM often tops lists such as this for the best-performing companies for women in tech worldwide. 

IBM even offers a fantastic parental leave policy, which includes 12 weeks of paid leave for partners, fathers, and adoptive parents and 20 weeks of paid maternity leave. 

Cisco

Cisco believes that inclusion and diversity are critical to its success as a growing technology and communications company. Without the input of different genders, Cisco thinks it would struggle to innovate and scale at such an incredible pace. With that in mind, the company is constantly coming up with new ways to empower female employees and people from different backgrounds. For instance, employees have access to endless growth opportunities with the education and connected health programs offered by Cisco's management. 

As well as learning opportunities, Cisco also commits to pay parity for all of its workers, intended to reduce the wage gap. The business regularly releases reports so that people can see Cisco's commitment to fair pay. Cisco also takes part in regular Girls in ICT days. 

Accenture

Workplace equality and gender diversity are enormous priorities for Accenture. The global management consulting company aims to have a 50/50 split of male and female workers in its offices by the year 2025. To reach that goal as quickly as possible, the company has taken various steps to hire and develop more female employees. There's even a leadership program in place to help senior women advance into more challenging roles. 

Accenture also benefits from a unique Women in Technology program that fast-tracks the careers of high-achieving female employees. Accenture's ultimate goal is to drive a 'human' environment where people are free to just be themselves. 

Salesforce

Salesforce's mantra of "Ohana" aims to make everyone in the organisation feel like part of a bigger, interconnected family. The cloud computing company embraces diversity and inclusion as a core value, driving everything that it does. The business believes that diversity is one of the key contributors to its success over the years. 

To live up to the strict standards that it sets for itself, Salesforce has made a long-lasting commitment to delivering equal pay to equal work. Additionally, the Salesforce team offers extensive training and support for all employees on the issue of unconscious bias to help avoid any dangerous behaviour in the workplace. Salesforce even conducts regular reviews to check its performance in gender equality and diversity. 

Apple

Apple has long encouraged its customers to think differently, so it's no surprise that the brand also takes a unique approach to gender equality too. Over the past five years, Apple has been hiring women and people from underrepresented minorities in all stores and locations. Over time, Apple hopes that its commitment to diversity will drive a more unique selection of employees into its locations. 

Around 53% of the US new hires at Apple came from underrepresented groups in tech. Additionally, overall representation of women at Apple is increasing on a yearly basis, particularly among new hires. This year, Apple received a top ranking for its commitment to pay equity on the Arjuna Capital gender wage scorecard for the tech industry. 

Ericsson

Based in Stockholm, Ericsson is a leading communications company that hosts about 40% of the world's global mobile traffic. The business is driving a culture of inclusion and connectivity through its workplace policies. Employees at Ericsson receive the same respect, support, and wages regardless of their age, gender, or orientation. Ericsson is also highly diverse when it comes to culture, disability, and ethnicity too. 

Ericsson hopes to have around 30% of its workforce identifying as female by the end of next year. The organisation has been making slow yet steady progress since 2012, with the leadership team growing significantly with new female talent. 

Intuit

Intuit has always been focused on empowering female innovators. The company believes that it's essential to have a workforce that reflects the diversity of Intuit customers. Taking a holistic approach to diversity and inclusion, Intuit focuses on talent acquisition and supporting the growth of women in the organisation. The Tech Women @ Intuit initiative run by the brand empowers women of all ages to get involved and advance their technology talents. 

Intuit also sponsors a range of groups committed to helping women in the tech field. This includes Code 2040, Girls Who Code, and ML4T.org. There are also various employee networks to explore at Intuit too, like the Intuit Women's network.

AppNexus

AppNexus is a popular online advertising company with various tech roles available to ambitious women. Like other companies with a strong focus on diversity, the company understands that inclusivity often leads to better innovation and growth. AppNexus' approach to diversity includes partnerships with JopWell and Girls Who Code to help with attracting new talent. The company also hosts affinity groups for employees based on shared identities. 

Additionally, AppNexus remains highly transparent when showcasing its commitment to workplace gender equality by hosting an annual forum for women in leadership and tech roles. 

Facebook

Facebook might have faced some controversy over the last few years, but it still comes out on top when it comes to commitment to gender diversity and equality. The company is very transparent with its progress, sharing regular reports on the number of women working at the brand. Women are responsible for 22% of the technical roles in the organisation today, compared to 15% in 2014. 

Additionally, Facebook also pays its employees equal wages. The company makes sure that everyone gets compensated based on the role that they perform, rather than focusing on gender. The Vice President of Facebook, Lori Matloff Goler, notes that the brand regularly performs in-depth statistical analysis to keep their wage equality up to scratch.