While there's lots of talk about gender balance when it comes to careers in technical roles the discussion can often fall into inane discussions about "suitability" and "natural talents" - something a Google engineer made public much to his own detriment. But the numbers don't lie. There are fewer women in technical roles. There are myriad reasons for this with one being that the intake processes for technical careers are often heavily slanted towards attracting male candidates. Code Like A Girl aims to change that, running events, workshops and internships specifically, but not exclusively, targeting women looking to move into a technical career or seeking to boost their tech skills. I spoke with Code Like a Girl co-founder Vanessa Doake.

Recent research out of Harvard Business found women in the technology sector have 50 per cent less access to funding, and only 7 per cent of venture capitalist money supporting their products -- but the women who are financed typically perform 63 per cent better than their male counterparts.

There are a growing number of initiatives actively impacting the gender disparity in the tech sector - from Girls Who Code to Female Founders Fund - but we don't hear about the success stories from these initiatives often enough. Let's take a moment to highlight the careers of nine female entrepreneurs from all over the world.

It's no secret that women are underrepresented in the technology sector. If you work in IT and disagree, take a look around you - how many of your colleagues are women? How many are in senior positions? If you answered "over 25 per cent" to both of those questions, your workplace is definitely in the minority.

ISACA recently conducted a global survey of women working in IT to uncover the main barriers they face. This infographic breaks down the results.

The latest gender parity report from Roy Morgan Research shows there is still room for improvement in the Australian workforce. While there has been a slight increase in the number of women employed (up 2 per cent from 2006), there remains a dramatic gender imbalance in many industries and occupation categories; particularly when it comes to high paying jobs. Women also continue to ear less than men in the same occupations.

Sydney startup accelerator BlueChilli has announced the launch of a female-focused program called SheStarts at an event celebrating International Women's Day earlier this week. The new program will not only help fund and mentor ten female tech entrepreneurs who are to launch their startups this year, but will also chronicle their journeys for a feature-length documentary.