Flexible working rights and a higher quality of part-time work could help female IT contractors and freelancers to balance their career and family commitments, Women in Technology has suggested.

The comments come after the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced that it will repeal the regulations extending the right to request flexible working to parents of 17-year-olds for all businesses, which was to be introduced on April 6th.

Maggie Berry, managing director of Women in Technology, said now that working from home is easier than ever, it is time to make a difference to the presence of females in IT jobs.

"However, we need to make sure it's available to both men and women in order to crush the assumption that it's only women who should have family responsibilities," she added.

Ms Berry went on to say that it is important to ensure flexible working is something staff can really take advantage of, rather than being part of a diversity policy on paper.