STEM for Women in Business Opportunities

Opportunities for women to work and succeed in all industries are better now than at any time in the past. Women can set their sights on any career they wish and, with the right qualifications and experience, can enter professions which were previously bastions of male domination.  But industries in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) sector in Northern Ireland are struggling to attract female employees. In high level STEM posts men continue to outnumber women by more than three to one.

 

STEM businesses have reported difficulties in attracting female staff with the required skill set. In addition to clearing any remaining barriers to the recruitment of women, we also need to encourage more women to pursue careers in this rapidly growing sector.  

 

Dr Evelyn Collins CBE, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission, has congratulated all the companies who have signed up to the Stem Equality Charter for their commitment to taking steps to recruit and retain more women in this field. She said: “The current under-representation of women in scientific and technical jobs is not simply a gender equality issue; it is a broader issue that has huge consequences for our future prosperity and growth.”

 

“It is vital that bright young women with an aptitude for STEM subjects are inspired to see careers in the sector as an attractive option. This means being ambitious and determined in how we encourage girls and women to pursue STEM subjects, and more importantly, in how we translate this into further and higher education, and, ultimately into the workplace” she concluded.

 

The Equality Commission is working actively with the STEM Business Group to encourage local employers to sign up to the STEM Equality Charter to demonstrate their commitment to improving gender balance in their business. To date, 27 leading employers in the sector have signed up; indeed AllState NI added its commitment to the Charter this week. Some of these employers have been shortlisted for the Women in Business Award for Advancing Diversity in the Workplace.
 

The Equality Commission can offer practical support and guidance to any STEM employer who wants to get involved. Working with the STEM Business Group, we have established a STEM Employer Equality Network (SEEN) to promote and share good practice and help employers understand the lawful positive action they can take to address gender imbalance in STEM. Further details are available from our website.