7 Helpful Resources for Women in Project Management

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re putting a spotlight on women in project management.

As Zippia found, women still make up only 38% of project managers in the U.S — a meager increase from 32% in 2010. And there’s still a notable gender wage gap in the industry. In fact, according to a study from the Association of Project Management, over 33% of female project managers say unequal pay is a big barrier to entry for women in the field, along with gender stereotyping and fewer women in STEM education.

Yet, countless publications have explained why many women have the skills to make superb project managers and leaders. Just look at these articles:

• Leadership Studies That Prove Women Make Great Project Managers
• 5 Skills That Will Help Women Succeed In Project Management
• Why Women Make Better Project Leaders Than Men
• What Makes Women the Best Project Managers

So, how can more women learn about the field of project management and prepare themselves to build successful careers in the industry? That’s where this guide comes in.

Here, we’ll share 7 helpful resources for women in project management — whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your career to the next level.

1. Women of Project Management organization

The Women of Project Management organization is dedicated to supporting women and women of color in project management across the globe. Paying members can access virtual monthly meetups, 60+ masterclasses, and a range of networking, mentorship, and job opportunities. They also recently made history by hosting the first annual Women in Project Management Conference in November 2022.
As founder Asya Watkins wrote: “I created this community out of sheer desperation for myself! As a black woman in the project management industry, I craved a space that would support me in my career evolution as well as understand & support my unique perspective. I couldn’t find it, so I created it!”

2. Black Women in Project Management organization

Black Women in Project Management aims to promote diversity and inclusion in the industry by providing women of color with coaching, educational resources, and professional development opportunities. Backed by 20 years of project management experience, Maitai Gordwin launched the organization in 2020 to help women of color advance in the field.
You can also check out the Black Women in Project Management blog for helpful content like 5 Habits of Successful Project Managers in 2023, How to Manage Remote Teams Effectively as a Project Manager, and Healthcare Project Managers: Roles and Responsibilities. 

3. Books by and for women in project management

The Rebel’s Guide to Project Management has a great list of books for women in leadership positions. Some highlights include:

• Her Place at the Table: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success by Deborah M. Kolb
• Unlocking the Opportunity – how over 150 navigated their careers in project management by Elise Stevens
• Beyond the Boys’ Club: Achieving Career Success as a Woman Working in a Male Dominated Field by Suzanne Doyle-Morris

Also, here’s a newer one to check out, featuring interviews with women project professionals across 17 countries: The Perspective of Women Project Management Professionals by Ipek Sahra Ozguler.

4. Women in project management Twitter accounts

Need more project management motivation on your social feed? Award-winning analyst and designer Lauren Maffeo put together a list of 10 women in project management on Twitter. 

And here are just a few to get you started:

• Lindsay Scott, director of Arras People, a project management recruitment business
• Belinda Waldock, founder of Being Agile, a company that helps teams create agile cultures for growth and productivity 
• Megan A. Speight, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager for the Project Management Institute

5. “Women in PM Leadership” blog

ProjectManagement.com runs a “Women in PM Leadership” blog, which is full of relevant news, lessons, op-eds, and inspiring content from women working in project management. Many posts are also published in both English and Spanish.

Some recent highlights include:

• Women in project management: Future perspectives
• Leadership styles: Opportunities for women
• Innovate to find our own leadership spaces, that’s the key

6. Women in Project Management Summit

The Women in Project Management Summit brings together leaders, disrupters, and influencers from across the world to network, exchange ideas, share their passions, and discuss the future of project management. It’s also a meeting point for managers from a range of industries, such as software, finance, engineering, and pharmaceuticals. 

This year’s speakers included Emily Hannon-Luijbregts, project and programme manager team lead for Siemens Digital Industries Software, Priya Patra, quality engineering leader for Capgemini, and Carole Osterweil, project troubleshooter and executive coach at Visible Dynamics.

While the 2023 Summit is already set to launch on March 9, you can keep an eye out for takeaways from the big event and details for next year’s gathering.

7. More inspirational women in project management

Still looking for more inspiration? We’ve got you. Check out these lists of women in project management and business leadership:

• 6 Influential Women in Project Management
• 12 Inspiration Women in Project Management
• 25 Influential Women in Project Management

The scales may still be imbalanced, but with the right resources, support, and opportunities, more women can start to build successful and sustainable careers in project management.

And, as always, if you’re looking for an adaptive platform to help you streamline your project management operation, book a demo with Proggio.