We’re witnessing a generation of consumer web companies growing at an unprecedented rate in terms of both user adoption and revenue.

But here’s a little secret that’s gone unnoticed by most. It’s women. Female users are the unsung heroines behind the most engaging, fastest growing, and most valuable consumer internet and e-commerce companies. Especially when it comes to social and shopping, women rule the Internet.

The report also touches on the role of agencies, finding a split of opinion in client-side attitudes. “There are those that feel their agency is driving innovation and those just see them as paying lip service to a new practice in social media that isn‟t really an area of expertise or even investment.”

Those data suggest that the industry has come a long way in addressing an issue that has long troubled management at many of the larger agencies. The industry can ill afford to lose talent, and while there may be legitimate reasons for the decline in the percentage of women in older demographics, it would be smart to try to figure out ways to keep them.