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Only 13% of the UK's science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workforce are women. It's not only the underrepresentation of women in these areas that's causing concern, but the high numbers of women scientists leaving their careers, turning down invitations to speak at conferences, and not being represented further up the career ladder – a European Commission study in 2012 found that out of the 42% of women academic staff in the UK, 17% were at the most senior research level, below the EU average.
These figures have led the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee to launch an inquiry into what is known as the "leaky pipeline" – the loss of women working in, researching and studying STEM subjects.
The underrepresention of women in STEM is an issue that demands attention from the early years of STEM education right through to academic leaders. According to new research from Pearson, it's the lack of fluidity in this transitional process that's a huge problem. Although more girls are choosing to study STEM subjects in further education and are also outperforming boys in these subjects, they are often not persuaded to continue the STEM route into higher education and into a career. London Economics research in 2013 showed out of the 27% of BTEC learners who went on to study engineering degrees, 38% were men, and only 1.4% women.
Academics themselves and initiatives such as Athena Swan and Soapbox Science – an event aimed at promoting change in gender inequality in STEM – have worked on raising the visibility and representation of women scientists, but there are still bigger questions that need to be answered. Soapbox Science believes universities need to better support early career researchers, create a more visible STEM community and women role models. They also think that government policy should change to allow men to take on equal responsibilities in family life through making career breaks and part-time work more acceptable.
But since the Royal Society, which advises the government on science, launched a separate investigation into whether greater gender diversity would lead to better science, an online debate has sparked around whether this is more about economics than moral arguments. Wynn Abbott, director of the London Science Festival, said: "The subtext to all this seems to be the assumption that research into the business case for diversity will bring in a positive result. What if it doesn't? What if the research suggests diversity is not good for business? This would support discrimination and undermine equality."
A study by the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2012 showed that increasing women's participation in the labour market could be worth between £15bn and £23bn, with STEM business accounting for at least £2bn.
In this week's discussion, we want to look at the role that universities and government could and should play in nurturing skills, opportunities and support needed to improve the representation of women in STEM, as well as exploring the motives behind intervention on this issue.
Join our live web chat in the comments below on Friday 12 July from 12-2pm BST to discuss:
• Supporting women in STEM (professionally and personally)
• Raising profiles and representation
• What action / change is needed
• Diversity versus business debate
• Role of individual, university and government
• Lessons to be learned internationally
You can also follow the debate live on Twitter using the hashtag #HElivechat
Panel
Athene Donald is a professor of experimental physics at the
University of Cambridge, where she is also the Gender Equality
Champion. @athenedonald
Rod Smith is the managing director of vocational and applied Pearson UK and managing director of Edexcel International.
Ravinder Kanda is research associate in paleovirology and genomics in at the University of Oxford.
Heather Williams is the director of Science Grrl and senior medical physicist for Central Manchester University Hospitals. @Science_Grrl
Harri Weeks is the Athena SWAN Officer. @Athena_SWAN
Rachel Tobbell is an equal opportunities expert who works with universities on supporting gender balance and women's careers.
Beck Smith is assistant director at Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE).
Caroline Wallace is the senior science policy advisor at Society of Biology (Scotland).
Seirian Sumner is a senior lecturer in behavioural biology at Bristol University and co-founder of Soapbox Science. @Soapboxscience
Jane Mitchell is a professor of pharmacology in critical care med and head of cardiothoracic pharmacology at the National Heart & Lung Institute.
Pamela Menges is director of engineering at Aerospace Research Systems.
Maria Grazia Vigliotti senior research associate at the department of computing, Imperial College London. @mariagraziav
Mehreen Rana is studying a BTEC extended diploma in IT at Nescot College in Epsom and is Pearson's BTEC Student of the Year 2013.
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