Women in STEM: Progress and Challenges

Because gender equality in education and the labour market is still far from being achieved. Even though women are now more likely than men to hold degrees (in 2021, women accounted for 55.8% of all higher education graduates in France, across all fields and levels), inequalities persist. The creation of a dedicated day to highlight the role of women in scientific fields and careers — particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) — draws attention to a disparity that has long been overlooked on a global scale.

The tech sector is arguably the most dynamic area of today’s economy and one of the highest-paying industries. Despite an unfavourable post-pandemic economic climate, employment in the digital sector is growing 2.5 times faster than in other industries. It is therefore impossible to discuss wage equality and women’s participation in the labour market without addressing innovation and research.

This issue is not new: historically, women have not occupied the same roles or been represented in the same way as men within academic and professional hierarchies. This links to the “leaky pipeline” phenomenon: as they progress in their careers, women gradually leave their fields, "dripping" out of the "leaky pipeline". It thus describes the attrition of women at various stages of their professional journey. The trend begins as early as higher education and is particularly pronounced in STEM fields where women are relatively well-represented, such as biology. Paradoxically, the leak is less severe in male-dominated fields like engineering, where women are fewer in number to begin with.

This pattern is also evident in the academia. While 45% of PhDs are awarded to women, only 30% of active researchers and just 18% of full professors in the EU were women in 2022. The gender gap becomes even more striking in STEM disciplines: although women make up 38% of STEM PhD graduates in the EU, their representation declines at senior levels. In 2022, only 17.9% of full professorships in engineering and technology were held by women.

Women’s integration into the labour market is another critical factor. According to Eurostat, in 2023, just 21.4% of female graduates in Europe (18.4% in France) obtained a degree in digital fields, and only 17% of these graduates actually work in the sector. The proportion of women employed in tech has never exceeded 20%—neither in France nor across Europe. Over the past decade, women have consistently made up less than one-fifth of the tech workforce in both regions.

The fact that the United Nations has taken up this issue underscores its global nature. For instance, in the United States in 2024, only 33% of employees in the digital sector were women.

Progress has been slow. Despite European Union initiatives such as Girls Go Circular or Action 13 of the Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) — which aim to equip girls with digital skills and encourage them to pursue STEM fields — the results are not immediate.

In France, for example, the percentage of women earning postgraduate STEM degrees has barely increased, from 31.5% in 2015 to just 32% in 2021. In some cases, the situation has even worsened: in 2024, only 16% of those admitted to École polytechnique [French grande école specialising in science and engineering] were women, compared to around 20% in previous years — both in terms of applicants and those accepted.

As for the tech sector, according to a report (FR) by the French High Council for Equality between Women and Men, 50% of women leave the digital sector before the age of 35, compared to just 20% of women in other industries. This figure has remained unchanged in recent years.

Finally, I would highlight a paradox observed in several developed countries: the more gender-equal a country is, the fewer women choose careers in STEM. A study by researchers at the Chair for Women and Science at Université Paris Dauphine-PSL suggests that the stereotype linking mathematics to men is actually more pronounced in highly equal and developed countries.

I am currently developing two strands of research. On one hand, I am working on an experimental approach, aiming to test different communication strategies to raise awareness of gender bias in academia — particularly in STEM — through randomised experiments. Additionally, we are conducting a longitudinal study on the evolution of women’s representation in STEM research institutions in France. This research is based on the observation that women often leave academia at the postdoctoral stage, making it a critical point for understanding gender disparities in research careers.

Addressing societal stereotypes is undoubtedly key. Biases conveyed by family and close circles have a significant impact on students' career choices after secondary school — an issue that cannot be fully resolved through formal policies and initiatives alone.

For example, according to the latest GenderScan barometer published in February 2024, 4 in 10 female engineering students reported being discouraged from pursuing scientific studies. In the same study, 33% of female students in digital fields said their families warned them that this sector would be "hostile" to women and did not fit the idea of a "women’s job". Teachers also play a major role: nearly 60% of female STEM students cited educators as their main source of discouragement.

These findings align with a study conducted by Ipsos at a computing school, which revealed that while 61% of boys were encouraged by their parents to pursue careers in digital fields, only 33% of girls received the same support, despite parents being young people’s primary role models for career guidance.