Happy International Women’s Day! On this day, we’re not only highlighting the remarkable women of Paradise Computing, but also celebrating all women in STEM fields!
As we embrace this year's theme for International Women’s Day, #InvestInWomen, it's vital to understand its significance. Across STEM-related industries like IT, technology, computer science, manufacturing, and engineering, evidence highlights a concerning trend: women remain significantly underrepresented. For instance, women hold only 27% of tech-related jobs and only 28% of all jobs in computer and mathematical occupations (according to Women in Tech).
Why is there such a gender imbalance within these industries? One reason is that many young women and girls are reluctant to pursue STEM careers as they feel they don’t belong in these industries. The persistence of harmful stereotypes suggesting that men are better suited to these fields discourages many young women from envisioning themselves in these careers. Additionally, a lack of awareness about the opportunities within STEM fields, the impact they have on the world, and how to enter them means that many young women are not even considering it as an option. The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) stresses that ‘young people often lack awareness of different pathways into science and engineering, as well as the wide range of careers that science and engineering can lead to’.
It's a crucial moment to encourage the younger generation to consider a career in STEM as the UK is currently suffering from a shortage of workers with STEM skills, there is an ‘estimated shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the STEM sector, an average of 10 unfilled roles per business in the UK’ (according to CaSE). Therefore, we need to encourage the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers and creative thinkers to pursue a career in tech by educating them about the opportunities available and the important impact these industries have on the world. Embracing gender diversity, and diversity of every kind, ‘allows companies to have a wider talent pool to choose from and means they don’t miss out on high-quality talent just because of someone’s gender. It also gives rise to new ideas and new ways of problem-solving which can speed up productivity and profitability’ (Women in Tech).
Breaking down barriers that discourage young women from pursuing STEM careers is vital, especially as we challenge perceptions that women don’t belong in these fields. One effective way to achieve this is by highlighting the significant contributions made by women who are actively shaping these industries every day. Providing young women with female role models in STEM is essential as it helps them envision themselves in similar roles. That's why we're commemorating International Women's Day to celebrate and represent the women within our company and encourage others to #InvestInWomen.
Happy International Women’s Day!
