Member Login - Account - Logout

Science and Technology Australia
  • Home
  • About STA
    • Who is STA?
    • Our history
    • Alliances and Partnerships
    • Board and Executive
    • Governance
    • Work for us
    • Reconciliation Action Plan
    • Policy Vision
    • Policy Wins
  • News and Publications
    • Latest news
    • Reports and publications
  • Our Programs
    • Science Meets Parliament
    • Parliamentary Friends of Science
    • Superstars of STEM
    • Science Policy Fellows Alumni
    • Super STEM communicator workshop
    • STEM Ambassadors
  • Events
    • Science Meets Parliament 2023
  • Membership
    • Our Members
    • Why be a member?
    • Member Benefits Program
    • Join STA
    • Member How-to Guides
    • Login to member portal
    • Register for member portal
  • Contact
    • Media
  • Home
  • About STA
    • Who is STA?
    • Our history
    • Alliances and Partnerships
    • Board and Executive
    • Governance
    • Work for us
    • Reconciliation Action Plan
    • Policy Vision
    • Policy Wins
  • News and Publications
    • Latest news
    • Reports and publications
  • Our Programs
    • Science Meets Parliament
    • Parliamentary Friends of Science
    • Superstars of STEM
    • Science Policy Fellows Alumni
    • Super STEM communicator workshop
    • STEM Ambassadors
  • Events
    • Science Meets Parliament 2023
  • Membership
    • Our Members
    • Why be a member?
    • Member Benefits Program
    • Join STA
    • Member How-to Guides
    • Login to member portal
    • Register for member portal
  • Contact
    • Media
21 September 2022

Crucial progress for women in STEM – but much more work to do

women in STEM equity

The number of women enrolled in STEM degrees jumped by 24% between 2015 and 2020, bringing 17,000 more women into STEM study and lifting women’s share of STEM enrolments at universities from 34% to 37%, new data confirms.

But while the pipeline of women in STEM degrees has grown strongly, women remain vastly under-represented at the top levels of Australia’s STEM workforce – with just 23% of senior managers and 8% of CEO roles in STEM held by women – and a 18% gender pay gap remains.

The 2022 STEM Equity Monitor from the Department of Industry, Science & Resources reveals the pipeline of women coming into STEM study at universities has grown strongly since 2015.

Science & Technology Australia Chief Executive Officer Misha Schubert said the latest snapshot highlighted the twin tasks of further widening the pipeline of women into STEM and supporting women to thrive and progress into leadership roles in the STEM workforce.

“After a decade of concerted effort to encourage more girls and young women to study STEM, we’re starting to see real progress now with many more women doing STEM degrees.”

“That’s hugely important to help transform who sees themselves pursuing a career in STEM, and in changing parental expectations that young women would choose science, maths, engineering and technology degrees.”

“The next urgent challenge is for deeper efforts to tackle the gender pay gap for women in STEM and to propel many more women into senior management and leadership roles in the STEM workforce. STEM employers have a powerful responsibility here.”

“We’ve seen some big strides in the participation of women in science and maths over the past decade – now we need to see that shift in engineering and technology.”

“These figures highlight that the array of Women in STEM initiatives over the past decade are starting to yield tangible progress.”

“Diversity in all its forms is crucial for excellence and equity in STEM – diverse teams deliver stronger innovation in breakthroughs and think about complex challenges from more angles.”

Science & Technology Australia is a champion of gender equity and diversity in STEM. We are proud to partner with the Australian Government to deliver the game-changing Superstars of STEM program to advance gender equity by creating diverse STEM role models in the media.

Meg Panozzo is an infrastructure advisory consultant with a background in engineering working for professional services firm RPS. She is part of Science & Technology Australia’s STA STEM Ambassador program, which pairs a STEM expert with their local Federal MP or Senator to provide ongoing STEM advice and insights. Ms Panozzo is STEM Ambassador to Independent Member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender.

“The STEM Equity Monitor data shows we need to focus on both attraction and retention. We need to think about the whole cycle of a career from early education all the way through to senior leadership. We can all play a part in supporting and empowering women to grow in their STEM careers, particularly into senior leadership positions,” she said.

“The stats confirm we need to keep pushing for change. But we need to talk about the positives as well – we need to showcase STEM in its whole breadth of possibility. STEM is an exciting way to make a difference, to creatively solve the world’s crises, and to satisfy our curiosity to be life-long learners.”

“This is how we can attract a diversity of people to take up STEM careers, and make the industry a place that fosters growth, innovation and career fulfillment. You can’t be what you can’t see.”

Media contact: Martyn Pearce, STA: 0432 606 828

Share
2022 diversity equity monitor representation review stem women
Previous StoryTranscript: Misha Schubert on Startup Daily 7 Sept 2022
Next StoryStep up as a STEM Ambassador

Related Articles

  • Superstars_2022_montageWEB_230314
    Meet Australia's newest Superstars of STEM
  • The National Health and Medical Research Council’s adoption of a new target for 50% of its top-tier Leadership grants in the flagship Investigator scheme to go to women and non-binary people from 2023 is powerful global leadership to shift the dial on gender equity.
    NHMRC gender equity target shows global leadership

ABOUT US

Science & Technology Australia (STA) is Australia’s peak body in science and technology. We represent more than 115,000 scientists and technologists. STA is an influential voice for evidence and expertise in public policy.

Recent news

  • Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic’s National Press Club address – Science Meets Parliament 2023
  • Win up to $100,000 investment to commercialise your clean agri-food technology
  • Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic’s Welcome speech to Science Meets Parliament 2023

Our members

  • All Members
  • Agricultural and Food Sciences
  • Aquatic Sciences
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Sciences
  • General Science and Technology
  • Geographical and Geological Sciences
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Medical and Cognitive Sciences
  • Physical Sciences
  • Plant and Ecological Sciences
  • Technological Sciences

Search for news

Most popular

  • SMP 2023 scholarships: open now
  • STA backs Voice to Parliament
  • Nine scoop a scholarship to Science Meets Parliament
  • A science future fund to supercharge economic growth: Budget 2023
  • Win up to $100,000 investment to commercialise your clean agri-food technology

Sign up to our newsletter

STA PRIVACY POLICY

OTHER STA POLICIES

Twitter feed

  • RT @sooJeeBee: Thank you Serena Williams and family for your deadly welcome to Ngunnawal country and President of @ScienceAU @prof_hutchins…
  • RT @cosmicpudding: Ready and waiting for our #smp2023 meeting with @Josh4Freo! Looking forward to discussing #science, #astronomy and the f…
  • RT @harisazizk: Meeting with Education minister @JasonClareMP, on ARC, pathways for ECRs & other issues. @tiahnijade @ScienceAU #smp2023…
  • Finding out about forging a new golden era of science at #ScienceMeetsParliament - @ScienceAU President… https://t.co/T7nfDABg3c
Follow us

Science and Technology Australia Limited (ACN 664 679 056 and ABN 71 626 822 845) (STA) is a company limited by guarantee. STA was formerly known as Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies Inc and was authorised under section 82 of the Associations Incorporation Act 1991 (ACT) to transfer its registration under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) to its new company structure on 3 January 2023.

Registered charity logo
Click here for more info
  • HOME
  • News and media releases
  • Become a member
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Science & Technology Australia. All Rights Reserved