Despite policy interventions, corporate diversity initiatives, and educational reforms, women remain highly underrepresented globally in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to Unesco’s 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, women constituted only 35 percent of STEM graduates, and their share had seen negligible growth over the previous decade.
This is striking given the rapid expansion of STEM-linked industries and the increasing demand for technical expertise. The underrepresentation of women is even more pronounced in cutting-edge disciplines such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and engineering, where female participation drops to 12-26 percent. These disparities raise critical questions about the structural and cultural barriers that exclude women from the fields of future.
A closer examination of the data reveals a paradox: girls often perform as well as boys in mathematics and science during early schooling, yet their confidence in these subjects erodes over time. Unesco’s findings suggest this decline in self-assurance, rather than aptitude, is a decisive factor in deterring girls from pursuing STEM careers. The reasons can be traced to deeply ingrained gender stereotypes that position technical and analytical fields as inherently masculine domains. Educational systems often unwittingly reinforce these biases through gendered career counseling, a lack of visible female role models, and pedagogical approaches that fail to engage girls in hands-on STEM learning, leading them to internalise the notion that they do not belong in these spaces.
India’s case study is instructive. While the country boasts a comparatively high proportion of female STEM graduates—-43 percent, as per the All India Survey on Higher Education, 2021-22—this numerical advantage does not translate into sustained workforce participation. Data from Nasscom (2022) indicates women account for only 26 percent of India’s technology sector employees, with their representation dwindling in senior leadership roles.
This discrepancy mirrors a broader global trend wherein women face systemic obstacles in converting education into long-term careers. Workplace cultures that privilege inflexible schedules, inadequate maternity and childcare support, and implicit biases in hiring and promotion all contribute to what researchers term the ‘leaky pipeline’ effect, where women exit STEM professions at disproportionately high rates. The Indian context also reveals additional layers of complexity. Regional disparities, caste dynamics, and socio-economic factors compound the challenges women face.
In rural and semi-urban areas, limited access to quality STEM education and social expectations around marriage and caregiving further restrict career choices. Even among urban, educated women, the pressure to prioritise family over career often leads to mid-career dropouts. Moreover, India’s thriving startup ecosystem, often touted as a space for innovation and inclusion, remains overwhelmingly male-dominated.
The situation in other Asian economies further sheds light on the issue. Japan and South Korea, for instance, report staggeringly low female STEM graduation rates (16 and 20 percent, respectively), while China mirrors India’s figures at approximately 40 percent. However, the transition to employment remains fraught with challenges. This suggests that national policies focused solely on increasing female enrolment in STEM degrees are insufficient without parallel efforts to dismantle workplace inequities.
The consequences of this gender gap extend far beyond questions of fairness. Unesco frames the issue as a “loss to society”, emphasising that excluding women from STEM undermines innovation, economic growth, and the development of equitable technologies. There is mounting evidence that homogeneous AI and machine learning teams produce systems riddled with biases. The absence of diverse perspectives does not merely perpetuate inequality; it actively embeds discrimination into the infrastructure of the digital age. Addressing these disparities demands a multifaceted, sustained approach that intervenes at multiple stages of the STEM pipeline.
Early education reforms must prioritise gender-responsive pedagogy, ensuring curriculums highlight women’s contributions in STEM and actively counteract stereotypes. Career guidance programmes should be restructured to challenge, rather than reproduce, traditional notions of gendered career paths. Universities and employers must implement targeted mentorship initiatives, flexible work arrangements, and transparent advancement criteria to retain and promote women in technical roles.
Policy interventions are equally critical. While many nations, including India, have introduced STEM education initiatives, fewer than half explicitly incorporate gender equity objectives. State-level variations in policy enforcement and lack of gender-disaggregated data further limit the impact of such initiatives. Without enforceable mandates and measurable outcomes, these policies risk becoming symbolic gestures. The path forward requires a fundamental reimagining of how societies cultivate and sustain female participation in STEM. It is no longer enough to focus solely on access; the imperative now is to create environments where women can thrive, lead, and shape the trajectory of technological progress.
In this era of rapid advancements in AI, biotechnology, and sustainable engineering, the full inclusion of women is not merely a matter of social justice, it is a prerequisite for building a future that works for all. India, with its vast pool of female STEM talent and dynamic tech sector, can emerge as a leader in this transformation if we take deliberate, systemic action to dismantle the barriers that have kept women on the margins for far too long. The time for incremental change has passed; what is needed now is nothing short of a structural revolution.
John J Kennedy | Former professor and Dean, Christ (Deemed) University, Bengaluru
(Views are personal)
(johnjken@gmail.com)