• • • TRADE SKILLS • • •


THE STATE OF SUPPORT FOR


WOMEN IN STEM ACROSS EUROPE The UK ranks 28th in Europe for


BY PATRICK FAULKNER, LEAD ENGINEER, ACCU


than their male counterparts, with disparities varying widely between countries. “But when women face barriers entering or


W


progressing in STEM roles, the risk is not just individual career loss but systemic skills shortages and weaker innovation outcomes,” says Patrick Faulkner, Lead Engineer at Accu. “Engineering teams benefit greatly from


women’s strengths in complex problem-solving and excellent communication skills, and organisations that fail to attract and retain women are effectively narrowing their own technical capability at a time when demand for STEM skills is growing.” Accu’s research shows that Sweden is the best


country in Europe for supporting women in STEM. Women account for 24 per cent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists and 51.3 per cent of the science and technology workforce. Tertiary-educated women employed in STEM also exceed typical European levels with 41 per cent, second only to Luxembourg. Sweden’s gender pay gap is on par with the European average at 11.2 per cent below men’s earnings. In Ireland, women account for 24.4 per cent of


ICT specialists, 42.4 per cent of the science and technology workforce, and 12.8 per cent of engineers, exceeding the median for all three


18 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2026


omen across Europe continue to be penalised by the gender pay gap, earning on average 11.5 per cent less


sectors. Tertiary-educated women make up 36.0 per cent of those employed in STEM, while the gender pay gap stands at 8.6 per cent, notably lower than the European average of 11.5 per cent, contributing to Ireland’s high overall score of 8.56/10. In Iceland, women comprise 48.4 per cent of the


science and technology workforce and 43.3 per cent of tertiary-educated employees in STEM, both of which are well above the respective averages. While women account for a lower 18.6 per cent of ICT specialists, this is offset by a relatively small gender pay gap of 9.8 per cent. The full ranking reveals that Hungary ranks last


overall, reflecting weak outcomes across both participation and labour-market indicators for women in STEM. Women account for 15.2 per cent of ICT specialists and 5.1 per cent of the engineering workforce, both below the European averages of 19.6 per cent and 8.7 per cent, respectively, indicating severe underrepresentation in key technical fields. Although women make up 42.4 per cent of


science and technology workers, only 29.6 per cent of tertiary-educated women are employed in STEM roles, and the gender pay gap stands at 17.8 per cent, over six percentage points worse than the European average, contributing to Hungary’s lowest overall score of 4.56/10.


supporting women in STEM With a score of 6.25/10, based on factors such as the proportion of female STEM graduates and women employed in those industries, the UK ranks 28th in Europe for supporting women in STEM. The main contributor to the UK ranking is that the country suffers from the worst gender pay gap on the continent at 19.8 per cent below men’s earnings. However, university participation is particularly high, with 40.5 per cent of women among STEM graduates, comparable to frontrunners Iceland and Estonia. But as Andy Burnham plans to tailor schools to


the needs of their local workforce, Patrick Faulkner at Accu warns this could have the greatest impact on women and girls in STEM. “My concern with Andy Burnham’s plan for


schools to tailor their curriculum to local jobs is that young people risk getting limited exposure to a variety of sectors, and might feel pushed in one direction. “For girls, there’s additional risk. Research


shows that girls aged 14 experience their lowest levels of confidence, which is around the same time that they begin to think about their career paths, choosing their GCSEs accordingly. “If, in Leeds, say, the workforce needs skilled


professionals in the legal sector, then girls might feel cornered into studying accordingly, instead of pursuing their true interests in STEM. “As STEM careers in the UK already disfavour


women and girls with a 19.8 per cent gender pay gap, the country needs to at least grant girls the freedom to learn about and explore the industry without any political or regional barriers.”


www.accu.co.uk electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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