The next frontier for gender equity is digital power at the board table

International Women's Day is often framed around inspiration. Inspiration matters but structural change matters more.

In a digital economy defined by AI, cybersecurity threats, data and rapid technological disruption, who sits at the board table (and what expertise they bring) has never been more important.

There is genuine progress to acknowledge. The recently released Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards Annual Report 2024-25 shows women's representation on government boards has improved for the fourth consecutive year.

Women now hold 54.3 per cent of roles on Australian Government boards, meeting the 50 per cent target again. For the first time, this figure includes all appointed positions, including ex officio roles. 

Progress is also evident at the individual board level. The government's second target, for women to hold at least 40 per cent of positions on each board, is steadily increasing. Today, 83.8 per cent of individual boards meet that threshold - a rise of 5.4 per cent from the previous year.

This demonstrates that sustained targets, transparent reporting and accountability drive measurable change. However, representation alone is not the finish line.

As Chair of one of Australia's largest and longest-standing not-for-profit communities supporting women in science and technology, I see every day the depth of digital expertise among contemporary female leaders. Women are leading in cybersecurity, AI, data science, cloud infrastructure, fintech, digital health and advanced engineering. They are running major transformation programs and managing complex risk.

Yet too often, digital expertise remains underrepresented at the governance level, particularly on Audit and Risk Committees, where managing technology risk is now a core responsibility.

Technology risk sits at the heart of organisational risk.

A cyber incident can shut down essential services. Poor data governance can damage public trust. Weak oversight of AI can create regulatory and ethical exposure. Digital transformation programs can determine whether an organisation succeeds or fails.

Boards that lack understanding in the fundamentals of tech are not just missing an opportunity. They are exposed to financial and reputational harm.

Bringing experienced technology leaders onto boards serves two important purposes.

First, it strengthens governance. Directors with technology expertise ask different questions. They understand system design, cyber resilience, data protection and vendor risk. They are better equipped to challenge assumptions and support sound decision-making. 

Second, it advances meaningful gender equity. Increasing women's participation in governance is not simply about hitting targets. It is about ensuring that women influence the most consequential decisions shaping our economy and society. When digital expertise becomes a sought-after board capability, and when women are visible as leaders in that domain, we challenge outdated assumptions about both technology and leadership.

This especially matters across government and the not-for-profit community sectors since digital infrastructure underpins service delivery, compliance, privacy protection and community trust. From health to education to social services and climate initiatives, digital systems are mission-critical. Boards must reflect that reality.

Australia has no shortage of capable women in science and technology ready to step into these roles. What is required is visibility, sponsorship and the willingness to move beyond traditional board archetypes.

Board appointment processes should clearly identify digital governance as a required skill. Nomination committees should broaden their definition of "board-ready" experience to include senior technology leadership. Audit and Risk Committees, in particular, should prioritise members who understand today's digital risk landscape.

We cannot talk about board diversity without also examining the pipeline that feeds it.

Board appointments are still heavily influenced by executive experience. If women are underrepresented in executive technology roles such as CIO, CTO, Chief Data Officer, Chief Digital Officer, then the pool of candidates considered "board ready" remains artificially narrow.

This is where structural change must extend beyond the boardroom.

Executive team diversity is critical. Organisations that invest in developing, promoting and retaining women in senior digital and operational roles are building the next generation of board directors. Without that deliberate focus, we risk celebrating board statistics while ignoring the leadership pathways beneath them.

Interestingly, consultancy backgrounds often buck this trend. Professional services firms have, in many cases, created stronger pathways for women to gain enterprise-wide exposure (strategy, risk, transformation and governance) at earlier stages in their careers. That breadth of experience can translate well into board readiness.

The government's report shows that sustained commitment can shift the dial. Now we must apply that same discipline to digital capability.

If we succeed, we will achieve something powerful: stronger governance for a digital age, and deeper, more meaningful inclusion of women at the highest levels of decision-making.

That is not just a win for women in technology. It is a win for Australia's resilience, competitiveness and future.