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What Is the Gender Gap in STEM?
Imagine designing a robot that helps doctors, discovering a treatment that saves lives, or building technology used by millions of people. These opportunities should be open to anyone with curiosity and the chance to learn. Yet women remain underrepresented in many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The gender gap in STEM statistics helps show where that imbalance appears—and why counting women in one part of STEM does not tell the whole story.
The gender gap in STEM is the difference in participation, representation, opportunities, or outcomes among genders in STEM education and careers. It can appear in school subject choices, university degrees, research roles, employment, pay, and leadership. The key question is not simply how many women are in STEM, but where participation changes along the journey from classroom to career.
Gender Gap in STEM Statistics: What Do the Numbers Show?
The global picture offers a clear starting point. UNESCO reports that women make up about 35% of STEM graduates worldwide—a share that has remained largely unchanged over roughly a decade. In other words, women account for around one in three STEM graduates, even though women participate strongly in higher education overall.
A second statistic shows that the gap can become more pronounced when we look at scientific careers. UNESCO’s October 2026 update reports that women represented 31.4% of researchers worldwide in 2023, up from 29.5% in 2013. Progress is real, but it is uneven: women’s share of researchers varies considerably by region and sector.
The figures below describe different groups, so they should not be treated as if they measure the same thing.
About 35% are women
Women in 2023
Held by women
| Measure | Statistic | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global STEM graduates | About 35% are women | Women remain underrepresented among STEM graduates. |
| Researchers worldwide | 31.4% were women in 2023 | Women’s representation in research is lower than their participation in higher education overall. |
| STEM jobs in G20 countries | 22% held by women | Women’s representation in STEM employment remains especially low in these economies. |
Sources: UNESCO STEM education overview and UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The G20 employment figure is reported in UNESCO’s STEM gender-equality fact sheet; it refers to G20 countries, not the entire world.
Why do these numbers differ?
Graduates, researchers, and workers are different populations. Someone may complete a STEM degree and choose another career; another person may enter a technical role through vocational training rather than a university degree. A fair comparison must identify the year, location, and group being counted. That distinction matters because the gender gap is not one single barrier—it can change at every stage.
Why Does the Gender Gap in STEM Exist?
If the gap were simply about ability, the pattern would be easier to explain. But ability alone does not account for who feels encouraged to try STEM, who gets access to learning opportunities, or who stays in a field after entering it. Several influences can overlap:
Gender stereotypes.
When children repeatedly hear that boys are naturally better at coding, engineering, or mathematics, some girls may start to doubt whether they belong—even before they have had a chance to explore these subjects.
Unequal access and encouragement.
Access to computers, robotics clubs, advanced classes, mentors, and hands-on projects varies across schools and communities. A student cannot pursue an opportunity she has never been offered or cannot access.
A shortage of visible role models.
Seeing women work as scientists, engineers, programmers, and inventors helps make those careers feel possible. Without that visibility, students may have a narrower picture of who belongs in STEM.
Bias and workplace barriers.
Hiring, promotion, pay, workplace culture, and access to research funding can affect women’s ability to build and advance in STEM careers. Entering a field is one milestone; being supported to remain and lead in it is another.
These factors do not affect every girl or woman in the same way, and they do not mean women lack the ability to succeed. They show how expectations, resources, and institutional practices can shape choices and opportunities over time. UNESCO’s research highlights the importance of addressing barriers across education and employment rather than focusing on just one stage.
What Does “Women in STEM” Mean?
“Women in STEM” refers to women who study, teach, research, or work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A woman in STEM might be a civil engineer designing safer bridges, a biologist studying disease, a software developer building an app, or a mathematician modelling climate patterns. “Girls in STEM” usually refers to girls exploring these subjects through school lessons, experiments, coding, robotics, clubs, or other learning experiences.
Exploring, experimenting, learning, and discovering interests.
Studying, teaching, researching, and building careers.
The phrase describes participation, not a particular personality or skill set. There is no single way to look, think, or learn like a STEM student or professional. The point is that people with different backgrounds should have a fair chance to explore these fields and decide whether they suit their interests.
How Can We Close the Gender Gap in STEM?
The most effective responses work across the whole journey—from a child’s first science experiment to a professional’s chance to lead a team. Practical steps include:
Make STEM hands-on early.
Simple experiments, puzzles, coding games, and robotics projects let students discover what interests them instead of relying on assumptions about who is “good at” a subject.
Offer encouragement and mentors.
Teachers, families, and STEM professionals can help students build confidence, answer questions, and see different paths into science and technology.
Show a wider range of role models.
Share the work of women scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technology leaders—not only on special awareness days, but as a normal part of learning.
Make education and workplaces fairer.
Schools can review access to advanced courses and STEM activities; employers and research institutions can examine hiring, pay, promotion, mentoring, and workplace culture.
Measure progress along the way
Progress also needs to be measured. It is useful to count how many girls join a coding club, but it is just as important to ask whether they continue, gain skills, enter further study, and find supportive careers. Numbers can reveal a problem; tracking the full pathway helps show whether solutions are working.
The Bigger Picture
The gender gap in STEM is not just a question of who studies science or writes code. It is about whether people can explore their interests, access the right opportunities, and continue developing their skills without being limited by stereotypes or unfair barriers. The statistics show that progress remains incomplete—but they also point toward where change is needed. When girls are encouraged to experiment, women are supported to advance, and institutions measure participation at every stage, STEM has a better chance of benefiting from the full range of human talent.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does women in STEM mean?
Women in STEM means women who study, teach, research, or work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Examples include scientists, engineers, software developers, data analysts, and mathematicians.
2. What percentage of STEM graduates are women?
UNESCO reports that women make up approximately 35% of STEM graduates worldwide. This is a global education statistic, not the percentage of women employed in STEM jobs.
3. Why are women underrepresented in STEM?
The reasons include gender stereotypes, differences in access to learning opportunities and mentors, limited visibility of role models, and workplace barriers such as bias or unequal advancement opportunities. The mix of factors varies by country and STEM field.
4. How can girls get involved in STEM?
Girls can try science experiments, coding activities, robotics clubs, mathematics challenges, maker projects, school programs, and mentoring opportunities. Hands-on experiences help them discover what they enjoy and build skills over time.
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