IWD 2025: Why women should pursue the road less travelled even if they don’t herald from a tech discipline

The tide is slowly turning with more women and girls choosing tech education subjects, finally beginning to shift the ratio and combat the stale stereotypes that remain. However, there is still an outdated view that you need to have a computer science background to break into the sector.

As of 2023, women constitute approximately 29% of Australia's technology workforce. In this article, two International Women's Forum Australia (IWFA) members and female leaders in technology reflect on their respective unexpected journeys into the industry. They share their learnings and experiences for women and girls who, although they may not know how to code, should still consider the impact they could make in tech.

Wendy Zveglic is the VP of Engineering at a global tech company based in Sydney, leading high-performing teams to drive innovation and execution at scale. Her career began in Banking and Finance and with a curiosity to understand tech, she pivoted seven years ago. She built deep technical expertise as a Solution Engineer at Salesforce before transitioning back into leadership, overseeing 16+ engineers in the Marketing Cloud. Zveglic is focussed on engineering excellence, business impact, and creating high-trust, high-performance teams.

Teresa Allan is a lawyer by trade and is Vice President, General Counsel, and Ethics & Compliance Officer at Capgemini for Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and China. Capgemini, helps businesses and government organisations navigate digital transformation with innovative technology solutions; covering everything from cloud computing and AI-driven insights to enterprise applications and cybersecurity.

Both Zveglic and Allan took an unconventional path to get to where they are, and acknowledged women breaking into tech at every level still face challenges. However, they both agreed they are happy in their careers and relish the dynamic and innovative environment synonymous with the industry.

"With no science or tech background and a firm focus on law and the arts, if you'd asked me years ago whether I'd be working in the tech sector, I would have laughed," said Allan.

"The sector really is at the forefront of innovation, constantly evolving with advancements in AI and other technologies. It's fast-paced and interesting and I believe as regulators race to keep up it will drive the sector to develop more ethical, secure, and inclusive solutions which is a good thing all round."

One avenue to break into tech at a senior level is by being an effective leader. IWFA runs a unique leadership program called Emerging Women Leaders that takes participants on a leadership journey using the personal stories of established leaders in the IWFA network made up of successful women leaders from all sectors.

"Breaking into technical leadership without a formal engineering degree meant constantly proving my expertise. I've navigated bias, high expectations, and the need to balance credibility with confidence in a male-dominated space," said Zveglic

"But tech is about constant evolution and innovation, problem-solving, and making an impact—it challenges you to think ahead and build what's next. I love leading brilliant minds, turning complexity into clarity, and seeing ideas transform into real-world solutions."

Build a tribe to thrive

When asked about factors that helped them to overcome these challenges, a common theme that came up was around being purposeful about who you surround yourself with, while also giving back to these communities.

"Mentorship, continuous learning, and strong allies helped me push through, and I always ensure I bring others up with me," said Zveglic.

"It can be challenging as the minority gender in the room and feeling the pressure to be the perfect role-model because you represent, not just yourself, but all women," said Allan

"Building a tribe makes all the difference – rather than go it alone, nurture a support network. I rely on my husband, family, close friends, colleagues plus a broader professional network including the amazing women in IWFA.

Seek out mentors and look for the networks and professional bodies that support. My experience has been that women in ICT are super generous and supportive. Giving back to other women and the broader community takes your mind off your own challenges and it's the right thing to do."

When doubt creeps in, trust in your abilities and lead the change

This year's International Women's Day theme is – March Forward: It's time to turn promises into progress. Zveglic said this underscores the importance of access, opportunity, and representation.

"We need to ensure that women and underrepresented groups aren't just included but leading the change. We need early exposure, strong role models, and leadership pathways that remove barriers, not just talk about them," she said.

"STEM is not just for coders—it's for leaders, innovators, and disruptors. You don't need to tick every box—jump in, learn fast, and own your impact. Tech needs diverse thinkers, strong leaders, and problem-solvers—if you bring that, you belong, and if you want to shape the future, tech is the place to be."

Regardless of someone's education or career background there's plenty of growth still to be realised in the tech industry and room for more diverse voices.

"Different girls face different barriers and that there's no 'one size fits all' way to bridge these divides. A career in ICT takes many different forms and you can come to it, like me, via non-STEM routes.  You've got this! Be confident, be curious and don't self-limit," concluded Allan.