So you want to be a STEMinist

The gender imbalance in science and technology is startling. A bold group of pioneers is showing how to close the gap.

Forward: features are independent pieces written for Mewburn Ellis discussing and celebrating the best of innovation and exploration from the scientific and entrepreneurial worlds.

From Netflix’s Emmy-nominated period drama, Bridgerton, to sci-fi blockbuster, Dune, sound engineers working at London-based Red Apple Creative have had the opportunity to work on some of TV and film’s best-loved hits. But despite the high-profile clients, executive creative director Kathleen Moroney struggles to hire women. “We have always had an exceptionally hard time recruiting female sound engineers and developers,” says Moroney. “Even though this has been a priority, we might have 50 CVs through for a job role and only one female applicant out of those.”

Moroney is working hard to try and shatter misconceptions young people might have about a career in sound engineering – Red Apple Creative has partnered with Camden Council on its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) initiative, designed to encourage greater take-up of creative, digital and scientific education in the London Borough. “Our sound engineers usually have maths and science backgrounds but they get to work on sound design Oscar winning films, BAFTA winning TV series and create music heard by millions of people,” says Moroney. “It’s about educating young people on the creative applications of these subjects to inspire them about the possible career options.”

The issue of female representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers is nothing new and it reaches far beyond Camden. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) suggests only 28% of the STEM workforce globally is made up of women. According to a Unesco report, 35% of STEM students in higher education globally are women, but this falls to 3 per cent when it comes to technology (ICT) studies: “This gender disparity is alarming, especially as STEM careers are often referred to as the jobs of the future, driving innovation, social wellbeing, inclusive growth and sustainable development,” says the report.

In the UK, analysis by WISE has found that women make up just 10% of engineering professions in the UK and 16% of ICT roles. The gender imbalance across the board is an issue for a number of reasons. “By just having one mindset, or the view of a certain demographic – usually Caucasian male – you're limiting what the projects could be, what the innovation could be, what the future could be,” says Daljit Kaur, award-winning teacher and regional STEM lead, STEM Learning. “If you have a diverse set of people around the table, anything can happen. You’re opening yourself up to more innovation and fresh thinking.”

Visible role models

The problem of gender diversity in STEM is certainly one of stifling innovation and the shaping of a future designed for only one half of the population. But increasingly, as people start to demand better, it’s becoming a commercial imperative. “The importance of diversity and inclusion has taken off here, especially in Silicon Valley,” says Arrienne Lezak, shareholder at Polsinelli, patent attorney and co-lead of Women in IP Committee. “Companies are saying, ‘I‘m going to need to see some diversity on your team or I’m taking my business elsewhere.”

So what can companies in STEM fields do to bring gender balance to their teams? Lack of female representation in STEM is an incredibly complex problem. There’s no silver bullet or fixing the issue overnight.

Emma Mulqueeny OBE, co-founder of Rewired State and now chief of staff to the CRO at open-source software giant, Suse, has been campaigning to encourage more women into STEM for over a decade. “Ten years ago, when I was running Young Wired State events, the girls to boys ratio was appalling. I decided to shine a spotlight on it, I talked about the issue whenever I could but what I found was that the number of girls actually went down – by drawing attention to how few girls were getting involved, I was putting more off.”

Mulqueeny says we need to rebrand the gender issue. Rather than talk about how few women there are in STEM, shine a spotlight on the women who are. “The most important thing is making women visible in an organisation,” she says. “We need to give women, especially those at the start of their careers, the confidence to step forward, be visible – be present in meetings and represent the company on stage at conferences. Then if you also have a decent wedge of women in senior positions who are also visible, that really helps.”

Inspiring the next generation

Businesses aren’t on their own when it comes to improving their female representation in STEM. There are a number of charities and campaigns that work directly with companies to drive change. Founded in 1984 by one of the first female aeronautical engineers, Baroness Beryl Platt, the WISE campaign offers a number of different services to companies looking to take action. One of the tools offered by WISE is the Ten Steps programme. A framework which can be used to benchmark a company’s progress, it consists of ten focus areas for those looking to improve business performance through better gender balance in STEM. These areas include job design, transparency of opportunity for progression, flexible working and sponsoring female talent. It counts Shell, GE, Amazon and Pfizer among its members.

Another organisation offering support to businesses wanting to take positive action is STEM Learning. The UK’s largest provider of careers and education support in STEM subjects, it offers an ambassador programme which invites professionals in STEM careers and opportunity to speak in schools and communities to inspire the next generation. There are currently 37,000 volunteers from over 7,000 employers across the UK. “We’ve done some research and we know that by the time a child goes into secondary school they know what they don’t want to do,” explains Kaur. “We want to go into the earlier primary years and show them how exciting it is and the reality of working in STEM careers – it’s the perfume and cosmetics industry as much as it is blowing up bridges and space exploration.”

Showing the way

Whether acting in collaboration with another organisation, or not, decisive action can come from STEM businesses of all shapes and sizes. Nottingham-based IT solutions business, Jigsaw24, has partnered with Nottingham Trent University to establish a £12,000 Higher Education Bursary for a female Computer Science student. “It’s a programme that is both modest and in its infancy for us but it’s something real, immediate and tangible,” explains Louise Goldsworthy, head of social responsibilities, Jigsaw24. “If we demonstrate the small actions that businesses can put in their I&D plans, perhaps we’ll inspire our partners across the tech industry to take a similar approach themselves and move the balance between women and men graduating into STEM careers closer together”

Meanwhile, global giants such as AstraZeneca use a number of avenues and partners in a bid to increase diversity. As well as acting as a sponsor for STEM Learning, among other things the pharmaceutical giant supports a worldwide campaign called Girls Belong Here. “Each year around International Day of the Girl, we invite young women into our offices to shadow people in leadership roles, providing insight into the way the company operates and providing an opportunity to ask questions,” says Laura Walton, senior patent attorney, AstraZeneca. “It’s an opportunity for us to learn from them as well, to see how we can create an inclusive environment in the workplace.”

The importance of taking action to create gender balance in STEM is clear. For businesses large and small, the women already in the business could well be the secret weapon. “I’d say to businesses now, get the women at all stages in your business – both entry level and up to senior executives – get them out talking in schools, using social media to talk about their roles and what they’re doing,” says Mulqueeny. “We need to find a way to get the message into the general consciousness – women belong in STEM – and if we’re going to reach the right people at the right time we need to be proactive.”

The full potential of STEM

Robert Andrews, Partner and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, Mewburn Ellis comments:

Diversity of thought is essential if we are to realise the full potential of STEM. By drawing on the widest possible range of ideas and viewpoints, we promote innovation and the development of creative solutions to the many challenges we all face. Career aspirations are established early, so to build diversity we need to inspire interest in STEM from a young age. We can do that by providing schoolchildren with opportunities to get involved in STEM projects, led by diverse role models whose passion for technology will enthuse students to pursue careers in innovation. We’re proud that through the CREST scheme, Mewburn Ellis is able to support this important goal.

Written by Gabriella Griffith