Girls are not picking as many STEM subjects as boys, while professional female scientists are dropping out of the field. Does science have a problem with women?
Back in the 19th Century, Ada Lovelace carried out pioneering computing work on the Analytical Engine with Charles Babbage, at a time when few women were schooled in maths and sciences. The aim of Ada Lovelace Day is to increase the profile of women in similar careers and to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians. This is important, because there are around 40,000 skilled STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs left vacant each year in the UK alone.
The growing science, engineering and technology industries are crying out for people with STEM qualifications, yet students appear to not be selecting these subjects. This is particularly marked among girls, with just 19% choosing two STEM subjects at A-level compared to 33% of boys in the UK. According to the campaigning body Women Into Science and Engineering (WISE), computing, further maths and physics at A-level have particularly low proportions of female entrants, at 10%, 28% and 22% respectively. Women who do continue on to a science-based career therefore end up in a minority, making up just 23% of people in core STEM occupations. Numbers are slowly rising, which is encouraging, but what is keeping young women from choosing STEM subjects and careers, and why do women have a tougher time reaching the top and staying there? We talk to four women currently working in STEM about their experiences, the problems faced by women and girls, and how we can fix the issues.
What inspired you to get into STEM?
Aoife I was lucky, I had a family that was pro-maths. I always just followed the thing that I loved, despite getting quite a low mark at A-level maths! I pursued it to degree level, despite advice from teachers saying I definitely shouldn’t do it.
This story is from the July - August 2019 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - August 2019 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HOW TO MASTER YOUR METABOLISM
Ready to welcome a leaner, healthier you? It's time for a metabolic makeover. With a few simple, research-backed changes, you can supercharge your body's calorie-burning
A BLUEPRINT FOR ANTI AGEING
Science says it's time to rethink - and take control - of our body's age. Here's how to slow, halt and potentially turn back your biological clock
THE BROKEN MIRROR
Body dysmorphia - the all-consuming obsession with perceived flaws in our looks - is sweeping the globe. One in five young people is thought to be affected. What can be done and how is tech changing the way we see ourselves?
SCROLL REVERSAL
Losing days by endlessly scrolling on your smartphone? You're not alone. Perhaps neuroscience can help us beat the urge
Going back to the moon
ARTEMIS AND A NEW DAWN OF LUNAR EXPLORATION
SAD CLOWN PARADOX: WHY TEARS OFTEN LIE BEHIND THE LAUGHS
Mental health issues are common among comedians and performing is just one way they can self-medicate
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: HOW COOKING CAN DAMAGE YOUR DNA
From roast dinners to scented candles, there are potentially harmful pollutants lurking in every home
FARM OF THE FUTURE
Join the BBC's Planet Earth III film crew and go behind the scenes in the city farm that's transforming fields into towers and running almost everything with robots
COULD ONE BOMB DESTROY THE WORLD?
How big a bang are arms manufacturers capable of creating?
THE THREAT OF DAY ZERO
Queues at public water taps could become normal. What can we do to avoid them?
