DIVERSITY challenge the perception that , in certain roles , working from home or working flexible hours wasn ’ t possible .”
Savova explains that with a quarter of women stating that they previously had to take a career break due to a lack of flexibility at work , the adoption of remote working has helped facilitate greater participation for those who may not have previously been able to commit to working full-time , such as women with caring responsibilities and disabled workers .
However , change has not gone far enough . Savova would like to see much more done to encourage more women to join the fintech industry – including better access to affordable childcare and equal pay opportunities that are , she says , still a problem , even in the UK .
“ With women only representing around 30 % of the fintech workforce , more needs to be done to open up roles to those with diverse backgrounds to ensure a wider range of transferable skills and experiences in our sector .
“ Offering flexible , inclusive working and offering equal pay for equal work is fundamental to hiring more women to work in fintech . One of the biggest obstacles to working women is access to affordable childcare , and we know this is one of the main reasons women take a career gap after having a child . As women are more likely to cut down on paid working hours to take on a larger share of unpaid caregiving or housework , they subsequently earn less than their male counterparts and find it harder to re-enter the workforce at the same level .”