It’s not lost on me that, although only separated by a few days, World Engineering Day (4th March) and International Women’s Day (8th March) are still worlds apart.
Later this week (6th March), to mark International Women’s Day, the UK House of Lords is holding a debate focused on the steps being taken to promote women’s participation and leadership in science and technology. This is such an important subject when you look at the data.
Analysis of Department for Education data by Engineering UK showed that, in 2023–24, women accounted for 17% of engineering and technology-related apprenticeships in England, compared to 52% across all subject areas. UNESCO estimates that women occupy just over one-in-five technology positions in companies.
The UK Government’s findings show a number of reasons for this disparity including a ‘leaky pipeline’ where women leave STEM careers after a short period of time. This can be down to a number of factors including short term contracts and lack of job security (when combined with the practicalities of combining a career and raising a family) and also, sadly, a lack of confidence despite clear ability to achieve high grades in related subjects. It’s also a simple numbers issue, with many girls not wanting to study in classes dominated by boys.
At Publitek we are very fortunate to work with many inspiring women in leadership positions across our deep tech and engineering client base. We also have great female role models and engineers within the company that promote diversity of thought, bringing new perspectives and innovation to what we do every day.
A debate in the House of Lords is not going to solve the problem but continuing to raise awareness is crucial, as well as championing the many inspiring women in STEM and engineering at every opportunity.
