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' Too complex '
Report identifies ‘ uphill battle ’ for women in STEM .
By Laura Mazzitelli
Despite more women in Australia studying science , technology , engineering and maths than ever , students and professionals continue to face unconscious bias and unsupportive work environments , according to a new report .
Researchers from the South Australian Academy for Gender Equity in STEM ( SAAGES ) hosted a series of think tanks , speaking with 75 women currently working and studying in STEM fields .
Their report found that despite a significant increase in the number of women studying maths and science , only a small minority pursued postgraduate study and industry-related careers .
“ The reasons for this are too complex to reduce to numbers ,” the report ’ s lead author Dr Deborah Devis told Campus Review .
“ Instead , it was important to understand the experiences and stories of real South Australians to better understand the nuances of what they face .”
Study participants came from a range of different cultural backgrounds , genders and STEM industries such as engineering , IT space and research .
The think tanks also included people adjacent to STEM , such as teachers and students , who had a desire to work in STEM industries .
“ During the event , everyone was asked questions relating to their experience of gender equity and what they believed were the causes and solutions ,” Dr Devis said . “ No matter where somebody was in their career , their opinion was valued , so we didn ’ t want people to feel they couldn ’ t speak in front of people who may have been more senior in the industry .”
According to the report , one participant said “ STEM isn ’ t nerdy or unpopular anymore - pursuing STEM is normal but staying in STEM is hard for girls .”
Another participant reported , “ a more open [ and ] honest work means that men can now take time off the spend time with kids .”
It was clear early on in the think tank sessions that the impact of culture on gender equity remained a dominant theme , according to Dr Devis .
Last year , women made up 36 per cent of enrolments in university STEM courses and 16 per cent in vocational STEM courses , according to a government report .
The report , which collated national data on girls and women in STEM , also found that 27 per cent of women were working in STEM industries in 2022 , a one per cent drop from the year prior .
“ We suggest that funding is allocated based on gender-disaggregated data , which means using data that looks at how the funding impacts men , women and nonbinary people separately ,” Dr Devis said .
“ We can also support this initiative by being conscious of what is happening around us and participating in the change instead of leaving the burden of change on women and gender-diverse people , who are already fighting an uphill battle .” ■
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