Women often find themselves discouraged from pursuing telecom careers because of widespread stereotypes that technical telecom jobs require heavy physical labour or “hands-on” fieldwork; deterring many talented female candidates. In many cases recruiters; knowingly or unknowingly; reinforce these biases, preferring male candidates for technical or field roles, even when women are equally capable. Cultural norms and societal expectations also play a role. From early education choices to family encouragement, many girls are steered away from science and engineering, which leads to fewer women with the qualifications needed for telecom jobs. To build truly gender balanced recruitment pipelines the industry must tackle these deep rooted issues; from conscious and unconscious bias to structural inequalities in education and opportunity.