The benefits of a more balanced workforce are ample and include important bottom-line considerations as well as:
Unfortunately, Van den Berg notes, girls who do have the opportunity of getting an education, typically don’t choose STEM subject disciplines.
“Reasons for this vary depending on schools and the girls. But we know that two contributing reasons are that these fields are historically male dominated and there is a lack of female teachers in these subjects acting as role models.”
The reality remains that women make up just more than half of the population on Earth, and a lack of representation in the sector is affecting the world definitively. How so? The requirement to use STEM to shape our world. If women don’t get involved in emerging projects, they will constantly, as we are shown by history, find themselves captured in a world built by men and mostly to suit the needs of men.
So how do we rectify this to ensure we can make a difference now? Van den Berg says it starts with the recruiting process. Organisations need to recruit based on potential and performance, not on gender, which means selection practises should be designed to incorporate a portfolio or body of evidence. Removing gender, and with it any bias, when presenting these is imperative. Organisational policies will need to be reviewed, reflecting the change in the workforce demographic, and amended to attract more females.
Finally, she says, the physical workplace and culture needs to be scrutinised to ensure that gender bias is removed and replaced with a gender-inclusive environment for all to thrive.
“By making these changes over time, we’ll see a higher female representation helping to chip away at longstanding stereotypes.”