Despite years of initiatives, women remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. According to the WISE Campaign, women hold around 28% of core STEM roles in the UK, and in engineering the figure is closer to one in six. Progress has been slow, and the UK still has one of the lowest proportions of female engineers in Europe. That matters: the products, algorithms and infrastructure shaping daily life are being designed by teams that do not reflect the population they serve. The result is more serious than inconvenient queues outside the ladies’ loos—though those are not to be sniffed at. We all lose out when women are not fully involved in shaping the future.
What’s going on?
Why do men still dominate STEM careers? Universities, employers and government schemes work hard to recruit women into degrees, apprenticeships and traineeships. Yet the pipeline leaks at every stage. The blockages start long before a young woman chooses her GCSE options.
Social attitudes play a large part. In the UK, children are still bombarded with gendered messages from birth: pink toys and dolls that reinforce caring, domestic and beauty roles, while construction sets, coding kits and chemistry sets are marketed mainly at boys. This is not harmless fun. The toys children play with shape the skills they practise and the careers they imagine. When girls rarely see themselves as engineers, programmers or technicians, they are less likely to explore those paths.
By the time children start school, many have already absorbed the assumption that boys are naturally better at ‘hard’ subjects such as maths and physics. Research into stereotype threat shows that when girls are reminded of their gender before a maths test, their performance can fall. Most girls have internalised the idea that these subjects are not for them long before they sit their GCSEs. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, not a reflection of ability.
Schools and families can unintentionally reinforce this. Careers advice sometimes steers girls towards ‘people’ subjects and boys towards ‘things’ subjects. Work experience and employer visits are less likely to place girls in technical environments. Without visible pathways, talented young women simply look elsewhere.
Exposing the myths
The idea that men have better spatial awareness or mathematical brains is one of the most persistent myths in education. Large-scale studies have found no meaningful biological difference in the cognitive abilities needed for STEM. Where gaps appear, they are linked to confidence, practice and culture, not innate talent.
In fact, girls now outperform boys in many STEM subjects at GCSE, and the gender gap in top grades in maths and science has narrowed or reversed. Medicine, dentistry and veterinary science have become majority female. Biology A-level attracts more young women than men. The problem is not that girls cannot do STEM; it is that too many are made to feel they do not belong there.
The subjects that remain stubbornly male—physics, computing and engineering—are often the ones with the strongest stereotypes and the fewest female teachers. A girl who never meets a female engineer or software developer may conclude the profession is not for her. Representation is not a luxury; it is a signal about who is welcome.
What actually works
Closing the gap means changing culture, not just competence. Here are the approaches that evidence and experience suggest make a real difference.
Start early and challenge stereotypes. Campaigns such as Let Toys Be Toys have shown that retailers and parents can resist pink-and-blue marketing. Schools can introduce coding, engineering and problem-solving as everyday activities for all children, not optional extras for boys.
Provide visible role models and mentors. From Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie to Dame Stephanie Shirley and Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, women have always been at the forefront of science and technology. Modern programmes such as Stemettes, WISE, the Women’s Engineering Society and STEM Ambassadors connect girls with women already working in technical roles. Research consistently shows that meeting female role models raises girls’ interest, confidence and persistence in STEM.
Improve careers advice and work experience. Girls need clear information about the breadth of STEM careers, from cybersecurity and data science to civil engineering and biotechnology. Quality work placements, apprenticeships and employer visits help young women see themselves in those roles. Our women in business resources include guidance on finding mentors and building networks.
Make workplaces genuinely inclusive. Employers must tackle pay gaps, biased recruitment and inflexible working patterns that push women out. Returner programmes, part-time technical roles, transparent promotion criteria and inclusive team cultures help women stay and progress. Flexible working is not a perk; for many women in STEM it is the difference between leaving and thriving.
Support women already in the field. Professional networks, sponsorship and leadership training keep women in STEM careers once they have started. Women in leadership programmes can help translate technical expertise into senior roles and board seats.
The STEM gender gap is about culture, not competence. It starts with smashing stereotypes from the earliest age and continues with workplaces that value women’s contributions. Mental barriers are hard to overcome, but role models, mentors and inclusive employers have an important job to do in keeping those barriers firmly in their box.
