The Australian Government’s 2023 STEM Equity Monitor shows that Australia’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce is growing, but women’s representation is still far below parity.
The STEM Equity Monitor collects and standardises data from a range of sources and puts them in a single report on the current state of STEM gender equity in Australia. The 2023 report provides insights into whether efforts to progress equity in STEM are working, and where future efforts are best focused.
Overall, Australia’s STEM-qualified workforce has grown by approximately 300,000 people in the past decade. About one third of this growth has been driven by women. However, women still only represent 15% of people working in STEM-qualified occupations in 2022.
The number of students enrolling in STEM subjects in their final year of school has increased, and nearly reached gender parity. The data are promising and highlight an opportunity to engage students much earlier in their schooling journey in STEM through programs like Future You, an educational program developed and led by the Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador.
From 2020 to 2021, year 12 STEM subject enrolments increased by almost 3,000 students, with more than half of these being girls. Girls make up a large proportion of students enrolled in the biological and earth sciences but remain underrepresented in subjects such as IT, physics, and engineering.
Future You is working to increase participation in STEM subjects and careers by eliminating stereotypes about the type of people who work in STEM and increasing awareness about the various STEM careers amongst children aged 8 to 12, their parents, and educators.
Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith is the Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador and a Professor of Practice at the University of New South Wales. First appointed in 2018, Harvey-Smith is responsible for mobilising Australia’s business leaders, educators and policymakers to increase participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies and careers.
The Ambassador drives initiatives to grow Australia’s skilled workforce by removing structural barriers to participation. She advises the Australian government, industry bodies and businesses on policies, investments, program design and evaluation. She leads a team conducting research programs, creating tools and resources, and delivering training to advance educational and workplace reform.
For more information, visit
https://www.industry.gov.au/publicati…
https://womeninstem.org.au/workplace-…
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