Study finds women face unfair challenges in STEM careers

A new study has found that women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) are facing obstacles in the workplace due to culture issues.

According to From Insight to Action: Strategies for Cultivating Equity and Empowering Women in Industry by UniSA, women and non-binary workers in the STEM fields are “fighting an uphill battle” despite an increase in women undertaking STEM studies in school and university.

“These obstacles raised by women working in the sector should be a red flag as they continue to exacerbate critical STEM industry workforce shortages across the country,” said lead report author Dr Deborah Devis.

“There are hundreds of ‘women in STEM’ programs across Australia, but the impact of these programs is unclear.

“We have seen a significant increase in girls studying STEM subjects in schools and undergraduate degrees, but only a small increase in postgraduate programs and young women pursuing STEM careers. The number of women holding senior management roles in STEM industries is also very low.”

According to UniSA, some of the barriers that women and non-binary workers face in the workplace are:

• Negative work culture
• Unconscious bias
• Entrenched attitudes towards STEM being men’s industries
• Gender stereotypes
• Lack of female role models in leadership
• Inadequate flexibility offerings

Co-author Dr Florence Gabriel said diversity is essential for business success.

“Diversity is not just an ethical concern or a box to tick. According to a recent study of 1,000 companies worldwide, those in the top 25 per cent for gender diversity were found to be 21 per cent more likely to be more profitable and 27 per cent more likely to be more creative,” said Dr Gabriel.

“These high-performing companies not only had more women on their staff; they also had a greater gender mix in their senior leadership.”

According to UniSA, women make up just 16 per cent of the STEM workforce. Furthermore, 90 per cent of STEM-qualified women work in non-STEM fields.

Some suggestions made by UniSA to turn these statistics around are:

• Focus on future employees by providing mentoring and networking opportunities
• Increased flexibility for employees such as fertility policies and equal paid parental leave
• Review internal workplace culture
• Training for leaders and staff on inclusivity

“It is also crucial that men advocate for women in the STEM workforce by actively supporting gender equity and promoting diversity and inclusion. It should be an entrenched belief, not an exercise in box ticking,” Dr Gabriel added.