Women account for only 35% of STEM graduates, no change in a decade: UNESCO

Despite a decade of progress in education, women are still severely underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as a field, the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) finds. Data from 2018-2023 shows that women comprised just 35% of global STEM graduates, with no to little progress toward reducing the gender gap over the past decade.

It attributes this stagnation to entrenched gender stereotypes and a conspicuous lack of confidence among girls in fields like mathematics — even when their grades are equal or superior to those of the boys. These early setbacks, officials say, have far-reaching consequences and influence career decisions.

The gap between the sexes is even wider in the virtual workplace.

According to GEM statistics, only 26% of data science and artificial intelligence experts are women, with representation dropping even lower in specialist fields such as cloud computing (12%) and engineering (15%). One in four women with a degree in IT in the European Union goes on to work in the digital industry, whereas more than half of their male counterparts follow suit.

"Men are taking over the digital revolution and that's a loss for society at large," GEM team member said, emphasizing the need to diversify the pool of tech talent driving the pursuit of innovation.

While 68% of countries have national policies supporting STEM education, only half of those include specific measures to encourage girls and women. In response, UNESCO has launched an advocacy brief calling for targeted reforms to make STEM education more inclusive and gender-responsive.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE

Gender-sensitive career counselling in schools to help girls envision themselves in STEM and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Training school administrators and teachers to identify and counteract gender bias in the curriculum and classroom.

Developing female-led STEM clubs and mentorship programs to provide role models and experience in the real world.

Partnering with local industries and professionals to expose girls to successful women working in STEM fields.

Developing digital literacy models that ensure equal access for both female and male students to develop essential 21st-century skills.

The memo also highlights the importance of early action. From gender-neutral language in writing to introducing girls to classrooms who are female STEM professionals, the focus is to integrate science and technology in a way that is relevant and comprehensible to girls from the outset.

"Teachers are the catalysts for changing attitudes and boosting confidence. By helping girls overcome math phobia and linking STEM to their realities, we can construct a more equitable and creative future," the advocacy note concludes.

UNESCO's report is a call to wake-up for teachers, policymakers, and communities to remove systemic barriers stopping half the world's potential inventors.