Archive · 20 May 2025
Women's Underrepresentation in STEM Fields Continues Globally
In many countries, more women than men go to university, but this isn't the case in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
The number of women in STEM is still low, especially in leadership.
Technical jobs are still male-dominated, and fewer women in low-income countries get training compared to men.
Women also need more digital skills to get good jobs in tech.
Even when women do study STEM, they often struggle to get promoted to leadership positions.
To fix this, schools need to help women throughout their careers with mentorship and flexible work.
Women make up a minority of STEM graduates and leaders despite increased female university enrollment.
Gender disparity is more pronounced in technical and vocational training, traditionally male-dominated.
In low-income countries, fewer young women participate in education/training compared to men.
Women lag behind men in digital skills proficiency globally, impacting access to tech jobs.
Even when women enter STEM, they face challenges in moving into leadership positions.
- Who
- Women globally are underrepresented in STEM fields.
- What
- Women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, from education to leadership roles.
- When
- As per the 2025 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report by UNESCO.
- Where
- Globally, with specific examples in Europe, Latin America, North America, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Jamaica, and Thailand.
- Why
- The gender gap in STEM limits innovation, diversity, and social progress.
- Global Percentage of Women Engineering Graduates
- 28%
- Global Percentage of Women in Higher Education Leadership Roles
- 30%
- Women in top academic positions in engineering and technology in Europe
- 19%
- Women enrollment in vocational and technical education in Bahrain
- 10%
- Digital skill gap
- 95 women can send emails vs 100 men