On International Women’s Day 2026, BCS Women marks its 25th anniversary. With this year’s IWD theme being Give to Gain, it’s a fitting moment to reflect on BCSWomen’s origins, achievements and future ambitions with its founder Professor Sue Black.
Sue has been a long standing advocate for women in technology, and is the creator of multiple award winning initiatives that have transformed the lives of women across the UK. She discussed with Fiona Macaulay, a BCSWomen Committee member, how BCSWomen first began and what the next 25 years must address.
“It can’t just be me” — the origins of BCSWomen
The seeds of BCSWomen were planted back in 1998, when Sue was a PhD student in software engineering. Attending technical conferences, she found herself navigating rooms where women made up only around 10% of attendees. Networking, already daunting for someone shy, felt even harder in such a male dominated setting.
It wasn’t until she attended a Women in Science conference in Brussels that everything changed. Surrounded by 100 women from STEM disciplines, she noticed the atmosphere immediately felt different: ‘It was so much easier, so much more relaxed. Everyone was talking to everyone.’
Returning home, Sue realised the challenge wasn’t personal — women across the sector were likely feeling the same. ‘It can’t just be me’, she thought. That insight sparked action. She founded a local London network for women in BCS, which quickly grew in popularity. Women from around the UK reached out wanting to join, and by 2001 BCSWomen officially launched.
25 years later, it remains one of the longest standing and most influential women in tech networks in the UK.
The power of community and confidence
Reflecting on the early days of the group, Sue recalls how simple the structure was: an email list. But the impact was profound. Members shared everything — from complex technical questions (‘How do I do this in Java?’) to everyday professional dilemmas (‘What do I wear to a software developer interview?’).
The intention was to create confidence and connection, and it worked.
Women organised meet ups at conferences, shared advice, celebrated successes and supported one another through challenges. As Sue puts it, ‘The best thing BCSWomen has done is bringing women together to support each other through their careers.’
One early initiative that still thrives today is the BCSWomen Lovelace Colloquium, the UK’s annual conference for women and non-binary students of computing and related subjects. It was founded by Hannah Dee, who is now a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Aberystwyth. The Colloquium has now supported more than 2,000 young women. It remains one of the group’s most significant and lasting legacies.
Sue said: ‘There are just so many things that women in the group have gone on to do. And I think in lots of things, both personally and professionally, women have felt more confident and supported to be themselves, and achieve their potential as women in tech.’
Beyond BCSWomen: supporting women at every stage of life
Sue’s commitment to opening doors in technology extends far beyond the BCS Women network.
After completing her PhD and building her academic career, she founded:
- Tech Mums (2012): A social enterprise helping mothers, particularly those from underserved communities, gain digital skills in social media, web design, app creation and programming.
- TechUPWomen (Durham University): A 12 week retraining programme designed for women from non traditional and underserved backgrounds. To date, the programme has supported more than 600 women. Sue said: “More than half the women go on to work in tech careers, which is incredible because they weren't in tech previously. And I think the average salary uplift for women going through the programme is about £11,000 pounds a year. She added: ‘I know that we're really changing lives with TechUp Women.’
- The Women in Tech Power Network: Launched in the summer of 2025, this group supports women seeking promotion, leadership roles and visibility in the tech sector, which Sue says is really to help women fast track their careers: ‘We have amazing speakers come in and help. We have mastermind classes in the group once a month, and fireside chats with inspirational role models like Sonia Patel, a BCS Fellow, who's just become the government CTO for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology. It’s a great community which is really supportive to everyone in it. It's only been going six months, but women are getting promoted, going out there and doing public speaking, which they weren't doing before.’
These initiatives are united by a common thread: women thrive when they have a supportive network.
‘There’s lots I know now after 30 years of doing this’, says Sue. ‘I want to help as many women as possible get into tech, progress in tech, and become great technology leaders.’
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Challenges that remain
Despite decades of progress, Sue notes that one statistic has barely shifted: the percentage of women in tech roles.
Many of the barriers lie outside the workplace. Social expectations still subtly shape gender norms from a young age such as how girls are encouraged, what they’re praised for, and what they believe they can pursue.
Girls, Sue argues, still carry an unspoken pressure ‘to look perfect, to put others first’, while boys are socialised to compete and take risks. Changing these norms requires societal transformation, not just workplace programmes.
Added to this, women in tech still navigate:
- Lack of representation
- Confidence barriers
- Mid career hurdles, especially around caregiving
- Persistent stereotypes about capability and belonging
Yet Sue is optimistic. Compared with 25 years ago, today there are countless women in tech initiatives, awards, coding clubs and role model programmes. BCS Women itself has led the way in demonstrating what sustained, collective support can achieve.
What should BCSWomen focus on next?
To continue shaping the future of the IT profession, Sue highlights two priorities:
Encouraging more women to get into tech: From school age to mid career switchers, widening access remains essential. The tech sector needs women's talent — and women need access to sectors that offer stability, creativity and opportunity.
Working with allies: ‘It’s not men against women’, Sue emphasises. ‘Society’s expectations are the real challenge.’ Engaging male allies accelerates cultural change. Many men want gender parity and can be powerful partners in creating more inclusive workplaces.
Advice to women starting their journey in technology
Asked what she would say to her younger self, Sue offered her most important insight:
‘Surround yourself with supportive people.’
Whether personal or professional, community shapes confidence. Negative voices shrink ambition; positive ones expand it. A supportive circle can be the difference between stepping back and stepping forward. ‘Having cheerleaders makes everything more achievable and more fun’, Sue says.
A message for International Women’s Day
Closing the interview, Sue shared this message with women in tech everywhere:
‘Get out there and support each other. Champion each other. Supporting women in tech has given me so much joy and pleasure over the last 25 years. I encourage you to do the same.’
