• Question: What do you think of the lack of women in stem subjects?

    Asked by anon-247392 to Martha, Jennifer, Dan, Ben, Baptiste on 18 Mar 2020.
    • Photo: Baptiste Ravina

      Baptiste Ravina answered on 18 Mar 2020:

      From reading reports a year ago, I believe the numbers in the UK have been pretty much constant at around 20% participation in STEM. There have been numerous efforts to encourage women at all stages (primary and high schools, university, change of career) but these haven’t had a noticeable impact on the number of women in STEM yet. Perhaps it’s actually too early to check for an effect, or perhaps we’re not taking the most appropriate or efficient approach.

      In any case, it has certainly helped give STEM women more of a voice in the public sphere and that’s already something 🙂

    • Photo: Martha Jesson

      Martha Jesson answered on 19 Mar 2020:

      I think there is still a lot more that can be done to encourage women into STEM careers. If I was lucky to win the prize money, I will be donating a proportion to 2 charities, one of which is called STEM for her. This organisation helps to fund initiatives that encourage and empower girls and young women to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and math fields of study.

    • Photo: Jennifer Carroll

      Jennifer Carroll answered on 19 Mar 2020:

      At uni my chemistry course was quite evenly split. This wasn’t something I noticed until I was doing my first summer placement as an undergraduate – working at a nuclear site and was the only woman in the team. This hasn’t changed much in the last 8 years since then. I am still one of three women in a department of 50 or so engineers on site.

      I’ve realised through a recent, personal experience that there is more to being a woman in STEM, than just being a woman in STEM. Which is why I wanted to get involved with this and encourage you people, young women into science. There most definitely is a place for you. So many companies now pride themselves in their diversity and inclusion – having a varied and mixed workforce: people of all ages, genders, beliefs and this is so important to creating a welcoming environment for everyone. This is something I am trying to do within my own company. I started a women’s lunch group – we get together and discuss things affecting us at work and in life generally. We attended a feminist workshop in Manchester together for international women’s day a couple of weeks ago.

      I think we need to keep encouraging women into STEM but I also think we need to look at the way we treat young children and the stereotypes we reinforce from a young age for both boys and girls. Women need to see themselves in the workforce and through out different levels of a company, to know that one day that could be them. I am lucky that my line manager is a woman and so are the people above her, right up to the man that runs the company – A man who I’ve told I’d like his job one day. That inspires me and I hope to be able to do that for graduates entering the business as well as students making their career choices.

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