Organizations supporting women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields are grappling with survival as shrinking corporate budgets and shifting priorities push diversity strategies to the background. Once thriving groups are now struggling to stay afloat, facing funding shortfalls and cultural changes that deprioritize equity and inclusion initiatives.
 

Ada Lovelace Day, an annual celebration of women in STEM named after the 19th-century mathematician, exemplifies these challenges. Created in 2009 by Suw Charman-Anderson, it was born from her frustration at the lack of female representation in tech conferences. Despite being a popular event, Ada Lovelace Day is once again facing financial struggles, as it nearly did two years ago.
 

“We’ve basically limped on since then,” says Charman-Anderson. "But I can’t keep making the financial sacrifice." She notes that although the initiative is praised for being inspirational, this rarely translates into much-needed funding. “Organizations can’t run on inspiration alone,” she emphasizes, pointing to the broader funding struggles of women in STEM initiatives.
 

The situation is not unique to Ada Lovelace Day. Many similar groups are facing difficulties. This year saw the sudden closure of two major US-based groups—Women Who Code, which had 145,000 members, and Girls in Tech, a nonprofit that ran for 17 years. Both organizations cited a lack of funding as the primary reason for their shutdowns.
 

In the UK, the Tech Talent Charter, designed to promote diversity in the sector, also shut down, blaming tech companies for “quietly quitting” their commitments to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). These closures reflect a growing debate over whether companies are stepping back from EDI strategies, as some firms lay off workers and reduce budgets.
 

For some, these cutbacks are purely financial, a consequence of cost-cutting amid economic pressures. However, for others, it signals a cultural shift away from prioritizing diversity. High-profile critics of EDI, like Elon Musk, have called it "just another word for racism," while others, like Apple CEO Tim Cook, take the opposite stance. "There are no good excuses for the lack of women in tech," Cook said in a 2022 interview, stressing that diverse perspectives are essential for innovation.
 

Despite the emphasis on diversity from some leaders, tech giants still skew heavily male. Apple’s 2022 diversity report shows women make up just 35% of its global workforce and 32% of its leadership teams. Google’s workforce is 34% women, and at Microsoft, women occupy only 29% of executive roles.
 

The lack of female representation begins early. In the UK, despite more women pursuing computing science, men still dominate the field. According to UCAS, 80% of applicants for computing courses in 2023 were male, with just under 3,000 women compared to over 12,000 men.
 

The issue of representation is personal for many. MC Spano, a US tech firm leader, shared how her daughter, the only girl in her top-set math class, asked to move down a level because she felt isolated. "Having camaraderie in STEM classes is as important as academic achievement," Spano says.

Funding Shortfalls and Patchwork Solutions

Caitlin Gould, who runs TecWomenCIC in Cornwall, recently completed a coding project for 60 schoolgirls. While 95% of participants enjoyed learning about tech and 91% understood its importance, only the pilot project was funded. Gould spends up to 60% of her time searching for funding, describing her efforts as a “patchwork quilt” of one-off payments and project-specific grants, making it difficult to sustain successful initiatives.
 

“There’s so much goodwill,” Gould says, “but when I ask for funding, people offer to volunteer instead. It’s really challenging.”
 

Maggie Philbin, a former BBC presenter involved in the TeenTech program for the past 15 years, echoes these frustrations. TeenTech, which runs STEM activities for children aged 8-19, often struggles with securing long-term funding. “Some funders will provide support for 12 months, and if you’re lucky, three years. But it’s very tough,” she explains.
 

Despite these obstacles, the work of these groups remains crucial. A teenage boy attending one of Philbin's programs noted that his biggest takeaway was learning “that girls are actually very good at tech”—a reminder that changing perceptions in STEM takes both resources and time. But without sustainable funding, these valuable initiatives risk disappearing altogether.