A special Interpreter series ahead of International Women’s Day, 2025, on 8 March.
It is almost a cliché to say there are challenges facing women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Research across the world tells us that many women graduate from traditional STEM fields but not many stay. The gender pay gap is real, no matter in which country you live. In Australia, the most recent figures reveal a 16 per cent gap between women’s and men’s pay in STEM fields.
As the world continues to face ever more pressing issues that require the best and brightest STEM minds, can we really afford to exclude one gender from solving them? The widespread adoption of technology in our everyday lives has made STEM education pivotal for achieving sustainable growth and social well-being.
In 2022, I moderated a talk in Bangalore with two remarkable women in science – one from Australia and one from India. I listened to the late Professor Rohini Godbole, a pioneering particle physicist from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, and Professor Moira O’Bryan, a biologist and Dean of Science at the University of Melbourne, as they shared their journeys.
I asked Godbole how we can address the gender gap in STEM. Her solution was that changes must happen at the policy level to instil equity and inclusion in science “because it is not just good for women, it is good for science”. She also stressed the importance of a welcoming attitude in STEM workplaces.
Similarly, O’Bryan highlighted the need for cultural change so that it becomes completely normal for women to be in STEM, take a break, and come back feeling welcomed. She emphasised that exposing girls to science from a young age is crucial, as it helps them develop confidence and carve out their own paths in the field in their adulthood.
The reality remains that women trail abysmally behind men when it comes to participation and leadership in STEM fields, in work and education. Only 21 women have won a Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine since Marie Curie in 1903, compared to 620 men as of 2023.
Supporting the next generation of women leaders in STEM is not just a matter of fairness – it is essential for addressing global challenges that require diverse perspectives and international cooperation.
The Australian government’s own STEM monitor reveals women only represent 15 per cent of all people working in STEM jobs, and girls make up only one-quarter of Year 12 enrolments in information technology, physics and engineering subjects.
India fares a lot better with 43 per cent of graduates in STEM being women, the highest in the world. But similar to Australia, only around 14 per cent of these women end up in the STEM workforce.
This pattern persists in academic research, where women face additional barriers to advancement. Globally, women constitute less than 30 per cent of STEM researchers and publish less and progress less in their careers compared to men.
While gender inequities in STEM are widely recognised, for women in regional, rural, and remote areas, geographical barriers further limit their opportunities. For example, in Australia, limited funding is a major obstacle for universities in regional areas, with government research grants predominantly directed towards the Group of Eight or other large metropolitan universities. That is why the Australia India Institute launched a pilot program for women in STEM research to strengthen collaboration between Australia and India while addressing gender inequities. The program recently awarded ten fellowships to early-career women researchers – five from Indian Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and five from Australian regional centres.
The initiative supports short-term research exchanges between the two countries, in the hope that the fellows build strong networks that can lead to long-term research partnerships. The research topics covered by these fellows highlight the breadth of STEM’s social impact, and include urban rainwater harvesting, data-driven insights into brain diseases, and climate-resilient crops.
Through my interactions with the Indian fellows, several shared the challenges of coming from under-represented regions, known in India as Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and how rare it is to find programs that specifically support women from these regions. For many, this will be their first time travelling internationally, with one fellow noting, “programs like this ensure that hidden talent from rural areas can be recognised, and we can be given a platform to contribute globally”.
It is through programs like these, combined with targeted policy development, that we can break down barriers for women in STEM and unlock their untapped potential to help drive innovation. Supporting the next generation of women leaders in STEM is not just a matter of fairness – it is essential for addressing global challenges that require diverse perspectives and international cooperation.
Three years since my meeting with Godbole and O’Bryan, I am returning to Bangalore this week to talk to young college women on women’s leadership and inspire them to achieve their dreams by sharing stories of women leaders like Godbole and O’Bryan who have overcome gender bias and led the way for equality and inclusion in STEM.
It is my hope this International Women’s Day, that policymakers give priority to finding meaningful solutions to addressing the barriers women face in work and education in STEM and across a range of fields. We require a workforce that – no matter their gender or geographic location – can contribute to addressing global challenges and through which we can celebrate extraordinary female individuals whose talents have no bounds.
