Attracting More Women To STEM Benefits Everyone

Sarah Chapman, Senior Manager, EMEA Product Compliance at the materials science company 3M, explains why attracting more women to STEM has a huge benefit on everyone. Here is her story.

The gender skills gap in STEM is a well-known issue that the industry has been grappling with for decades. Yet, it seems like these gender disparities remain significant despite the efforts made to attract more women into the sector. According to data from last year only 35% of STEM graduates across the UK are female. Furthermore, when focusing on the fastest growing STEM fields, such as engineering and computer science, this percentage drops significantly with women making up only 19% of graduates.

As technology and science become even more central to shaping our society and to our ability to advance our careers, the lack of women in STEM could further exacerbate existing gender inequalities. Moreover, this is a missed opportunity for businesses and for government to reduce the digital skills gap.

This sentiment is shared by the majority of the UK population. 3M’s most recent State of Science Index research found that, in the UK, 88% of people view women as an untapped source of STEM workforce potential. Clearly, drawing females to the sector is vital to tackling existing skills challenges, and providing equal access to opportunities. So how do we encourage more women and young girls into STEM?

Tackling the origin of gender disparities in STEM

According to recent data from the British Science Association (BSA), gender disparities occur at a young age. The data, which is based on a series of polls, surveys and workshops with 14-18 years-old students, reveal that teenage boys are more likely to feel connected to science, compared to teenage girls (37% vs 29% respectively). Girls are also slightly more likely to feel that science is not for them compared to boys (19% vs 12%).

However, the differences when it comes to having an interest in a career in STEM and appreciating science are minimal, suggesting that the gender gap might be diminishing and that a significant proportion of young girls are open to considering a career in science and technology.

The BSA findings also show that there is a significant decline in interest in science with age. Only half (50%) of the 18-year-old BSA research respondents agreed that science is important compared to 64% of the 14-year-old respondents. Similarly, only 19% of the older respondents showed interest in a career in science compared to 39% of the 14-year-olds.

Lack of female role models

There are many factors influencing the attitudes of women and young girls towards STEM but one key issue that is highlighted in many studies on the subject is the lack of representation of women in tech and STEM. Our State of Science Index research revealed that over a third (37%) of people were put off pursuing a STEM career due to bias, self-doubt and lack of representation.

Although steps have been taken to combat outdated perceptions about STEM, they are stubborn and require ongoing effort from the most influential players in the industry, including businesses, government and educational institutions.

Combating gender stereotypes by improving diversity

It is clear that the lack of diversity is preventing many young women from engaging with science and is further contributing to widening the tech skills gap. But reducing the skills shortage is not the only reason for advocating for women in STEM. Attracting more women into the field can encourage more diversity of thought and bring in more innovation and fresh thinking, yet another reason why women are needed in STEM.

All industry players need to do more to promote more diverse STEM role models and enable girls and women to see themselves as part of the scientific narrative. Educational institutions, businesses and governments need to work together to help challenge long-standing stereotypes about people in STEM and encourage more young people, from all backgrounds, to see themselves as scientists.

Another important step to improving diversity is maintaining engagement with students as they progress through the different stages of their educational journey. Educational leaders, policymakers and businesses can play a key role in helping demystify misconceptions about what it is like to work in the industry by providing more insight into the great career opportunities that STEM can offer. We, as women in STEM, need to rally together and share our experiences with the new generation of female leaders and offer support, be it in the shape of mentorship or professional counsel. While structural gender inequalities take time to change, every little step in the right direction matters and brings us closer to a more inclusive world where everyone can thrive in the career they choose.