TRICIA PHILLIPS

Half of women wish they had pursued a career in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subject, says a poll from the Open University to mark Equal Pay Day.

But, a lack of direction at school, no recognisable female role models and the perception STEM industries were male dominated meant they were not aware they could find well-paid jobs in these areas.

More than half of women questioned said that when they were growing up they weren’t made aware of the real value of STEM-related subjects.

Nine out of 10 women were unable to identify a female STEM entrepreneur or high-profile woman working in a STEM sector, including tech entrepreneur Kathryn Parsons and American activist, author and COO at Facebook Sheryl Sandberg.

Dr Clem Herman, senior lecturer at the OU in Computing and Communications, said: “Analysis of the pay gap indicates that it is mainly caused by structural issues – where and how men and women work.

“Key contributors to this pay gap include occupational segregation where women and men tend to work in difference occupations and sectors, and the jobs in which men work tend to have higher wages – with STEM being one of these sectors.

“The other is different working patterns, where women are more likely to work part time, and the hourly rate for part-time jobs is usually lower regardless of sector.”

The good news is that many STEM employers are actively trying to recruit more women as they see the benefits of diversity in their workplaces and it’s a way to fill skills gaps.

Women working in STEM areas earn more than in other sectors and the pay gap between men and women is smaller.