A Multifaceted View on Discrimination in Software Development Careers

TL;DR

This study reveals that discrimination in software engineering extends beyond gender and race to include age, political views, disabilities, and neurodivergence, with significant negative impacts on individuals' careers and well-being.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of various discrimination facets in software development careers, highlighting underexplored issues like political and religious biases.

Findings

Age- and gender-related discrimination are most common.

Women and non-binary individuals face higher rates of discrimination and mental health challenges.

Discrimination influences career choices and personal behavior.

Abstract

Conversations around diversity and inclusion in software engineering often focus on gender and racial disparities. However, the State of Devs 2025 survey with 8,717 participants revealed that other forms of discrimination are similarly prevalent but receive considerably less attention. This includes discrimination based on age, political perspective, disabilities, or cognitive differences such as neurodivergence. We conducted a secondary analysis of 800 open-ended survey responses to examine patterns of perceived discrimination, as well as related challenges and negative impacts. Our study covers multiple identity facets, including age, gender, race, and disability. We found that age- and gender-related discrimination was the most frequently reported workplace issue, but discrimination based on political and religious views emerged as further notable concerns. Most of the participants who identified as female cited gender as the primary source of discrimination, often accompanied by intersectional factors such as race, political views, age, or sexual orientation. Discrimination related to caregiving responsibilities was reported by all gender identities. Regarding the negative impacts of workplace issues, many participants described modifying their appearance or behavior in response to gender biases. Gender also appeared to influence broader career challenges, as women and non-binary respondents reported experiencing almost all workplace issues at higher rates, particularly discrimination (35%) and mental health challenges (62%). Our goal is to raise awareness in the research community that discrimination in software development is multifaceted, and to encourage researchers to select and assess relevant facets beyond age and gender when designing software engineering studies.