Women in science: where are they? | Tangente

An alarming picture -------------------

In 2023, 40% of male students graduated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), compared with just 13% of female students.

Between 2011 and 2022, the proportion of women among academic staff rose slowly, reaching 30% overall in STEM fields but only 20% in mathematics, which remains the field with the lowest female representation. The picture is even worse among full professors: women account for 20% in STEM fields but just 12% in mathematics, once again the lowest proportion of any field.

And the next generation is still a long way from closing the gap: between 2020 and 2022, fewer than 30% of girls chose mathematics in their final year of high school, compared with more than 50% of boys. Unsurprisingly, it is the subject with the widest gender gap.