The Guardian highlights a new report today that shows the worrying continuation of a gender divide in student uptake to 'STEM' subjects: Science, technology, engineering and maths. Indeed, the patterns of female take up have not only remained constant, in some cases they have actually decreased over the last ten years.
"Five years ago, women made up 24% of computer science students in higher education. Now they make up just 19%. In 10 years, there has been no improvement in the uptake of women in mathematical sciences – the proportion remains stable at 38% – or engineering and technology, where women still make up just 15% of student numbers."
Many professors and university lecturers, as well as industry professionals, are expressing strong concern over the findings. Peter Hicks, a member of the Institute of Engineering Technology said that it's the industries related to these subject areas that are really losing out, "The UK desperately needs engineers – we can't afford to lose what is effectively half of its talent," he said.
Explanations for the continuing disparity abound, but I think Ceri Goddard of the Fawcett Society has the over-arching reason nailed: "We assumed that because women were moving into economic life all of our social and cultural stereotypes would just disappear," she says. "The truth is that we have only just started to challenge the notion that women are good at the caring professions while men are good at logic, science and industry. This divide is fuelling the gender pay gap."
Just another reason to join Fawcett and Object and wear your "This is a what a feminist looks like" t-shirt to work, then.
