Women make up only 28% of the global STEM workforce, a figure that has barely budged in a decade. This article pulls together verified data from UNESCO and the United Nations to show where progress is real, where it’s stalled, and what remains unclear.

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Women in STEM workforce globally: 28% ·
Women in STEM higher education enrollment: 35% ·
Gender pay gap in STEM: 20% less than men ·
UNESCO International Day of Women and Girls in Science: February 11

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Women make up 28% of the global STEM workforce (UNESCO)
  • Women account for 35% of STEM students in higher education (UNESCO)
  • Gender pay gap in STEM stands at 20% less than men (United Nations DESA)
2What’s unclear
  • Full effectiveness of many corporate diversity initiatives remains unmeasured
  • Long-term impact of COVID-19 on women’s STEM careers still under study
  • Accurate participation data for developing regions is sparse
3Timeline signal
  • 2015: UN Sustainable Development Goals include target 5.5 on women’s full participation
  • 2016: First International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrated
  • 2024: UNESCO reports persistent gender gap, women still only 35% of STEM graduates
4What’s next
  • Growing policy attention and investment in STEM diversity programs
  • Female STEM graduate numbers are rising slowly, but not in engineering and computing
  • Effect of remote work on women’s retention in STEM remains uncertain

Five key figures, one pattern: the gender gap in STEM is persistent and varies widely by region and discipline.

Metric Value
Global STEM workforce women 28%
STEM higher education women 35%
Gender pay gap in STEM 20% less than men
UNESCO observance day February 11
UNDP report publication April 2024

The pattern: these numbers haven’t shifted meaningfully in a decade, despite international commitments.

What is the latest verified information about women in STEM?

UNDP 2024 report on women in STEM in Asia-Pacific

  • The UNDP’s 2024 report states that investing in women in STEM promotes positive social norms and reduces economic gaps (UNDP).

UNESCO data on girls in STEM education

  • UNESCO reports that women make up only 35% of STEM graduates globally, with little change over the past decade (UNESCO).
  • Women hold just 22% of STEM jobs in G20 countries (UNESCO).

Recent policy announcements and funding

  • UNESCO’s “Imagine a world with more women in science” campaign, launched in 2024, aims to accelerate gender equality (UNESCO).
Bottom line: The latest data confirms stagnation. Women remain one-third of the global scientific community, and policy efforts have yet to shift the needle in most regions.

What should readers know first about women in STEM?

Core statistics and definitions

  • Women represent 28% of the world’s researchers (UNESCO).
  • Women account for 35% of all STEM students enrolled in higher education (UNESCO).
  • Women are especially underrepresented in technology roles: 26% in data and AI, 12% in cloud computing (United Nations DESA).

Historical context and progress

  • Women have achieved numerical parity at bachelor’s and master’s levels and are near parity at PhD level globally (UNESCO).
  • Yet women account for only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science and informatics graduates (UNESCO).

Key challenges and opportunities

  • Women account for only one in ten leaders in STEM-related positions (UNESCO).
  • Early exposure and mentorship are critical; companies like Mars have run mentorship programs for women in STEM (Mars).
The pattern

Women enter STEM higher education at decent rates, but they leak out of the pipeline at every stage—especially in leadership and technical roles. The numbers show a system that loses women, not one that fails to attract them.

Which official sources confirm key claims about women in STEM?

UNDP reports and publications

  • The UNDP’s 2024 Asia-Pacific report provides data on economic and social returns of investing in women in STEM (UNDP).

UNESCO data and observances

  • UNESCO’s official page on gender equality in education tracks global STEM enrollment and graduation rates (UNESCO).
  • UNESCO’s regional data show women scientists range from 26% in South and West Asia to 50% in Central Asia (UNESCO gender equality in science portal).

Government and academic studies

  • Government handbooks, such as the Kaohsiung City Government’s guide, offer local case studies on women in STEM (Kaohsiung City Government).
The upshot

UNESCO is the most comprehensive single source for global STEM gender data. But regional granularity remains weak—many developing countries lack reliable workforce surveys broken down by gender.

What is still unclear or unverified about women in STEM?

Data gaps in developing regions

  • UNESCO notes that in some countries fewer than 10% of researchers are women, but precise national figures are often missing (UNESCO).

Long-term impact of COVID-19 on women in STEM

  • The full effect of remote work on women’s STEM careers remains under study; early data suggests disproportionate caregiving burdens slowed career progression, but comprehensive longitudinal studies are not yet published.

Effectiveness of specific intervention programs

  • Many corporate diversity initiatives lack independent evaluation. UNESCO’s advocacy brief calls for more rigorous impact assessments (UNESCO document repository).
Bottom line: The data is clear on the big picture—women are underrepresented—but the effectiveness of most interventions is unproven. Policymakers: invest in measurement. Employers: demand independent audits of your diversity programs.

What are the most common user questions on women in STEM?

Why are women underrepresented?

  • Common reasons include stereotypes, bias in hiring, lack of mentorship, and workplace exclusion. UNESCO research shows women still face gender bias in career progression (UNESCO).

How to support women in STEM?

  • Mars article highlights three methods: mentorship, targeted hiring, and inclusive culture (Mars).
  • Organizations like SIFCO share personal stories of women in STEM, such as Danijela Milosevic-Popovich, who knew from elementary school she wanted a STEM career (SIFCO).

What career paths are available?

  • Women are concentrated in life sciences, health, and social sciences, while engineering and computing remain heavily male-dominated. UNESCO data shows only 28% of engineering graduates are women (UNESCO).
Bottom line: The most common question—why aren’t there more women in STEM?—has a simple answer: systemic barriers, not a lack of interest. The next question—how to fix it?—remains the harder one.

Timeline: Key milestones for women in STEM

  • : UN Sustainable Development Goals include target 5.5 on women’s full participation in leadership and decision-making (United Nations DESA).
  • : First International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrated on February 11 (UNESCO).
  • : UNESCO report highlights persistent gender gap in STEM education, with women making up only 35% of graduates (UNESCO).
  • : UNDP publishes report on women in STEM in Asia-Pacific, calling for targeted investment (UNDP).
  • : Latest data confirm women still only 28% of researchers and especially underrepresented in engineering and computing (UNESCO).
The trade-off

International commitments have multiplied, but the numbers haven’t moved. The gap between official pledges and on-the-ground progress is the real story.

What we know for sure, and what we don’t

Confirmed facts

  • Women represent 28% of the global STEM workforce (UNESCO)
  • Only 35% of STEM graduates are women, a figure unchanged in ten years (UNESCO)
  • Women hold just 22% of STEM jobs in G20 countries (UNESCO)
  • Women account for only one in ten STEM leaders (UNESCO)

What’s unclear

  • Full effectiveness of corporate diversity initiatives
  • Long-term impact of COVID-19 on women’s STEM careers
  • Accurate participation data for developing regions
  • Whether recent policy announcements will translate into measurable change

The implication: the confirmed facts are well-documented, but the unknowns are where real progress could be made—or lost.

“As women leaders in STEM, we must provide open, supportive mentorship for girls and women pursuing STEM careers.”

— Female STEM leader, Mars

“Danijela knew from elementary school she wanted to work in STEM—her passion for math and science started early.”

— Danijela Milosevic-Popovich, SIFCO

For policymakers in Asia-Pacific, the choice is clear: invest in targeted programs that address the specific barriers women face in engineering and computing, or accept that the 28% figure will remain stuck for another decade. For employers, the implication is just as direct: measure your diversity initiatives, or keep guessing.

Additional sources

unesco.org, unesco.org, indiatoday.in, swe.org, facebook.com, physicstoday.aip.org, unesco.org, world-education-blog.org

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Frequently asked questions

What is the current percentage of women in the global STEM workforce?

28%, according to UNESCO (UNESCO).

Why are women underrepresented in engineering and computer science?

Systemic barriers including stereotypes, bias in hiring, and lack of mentorship. UNESCO data shows women make up only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science graduates (UNESCO).

How can schools encourage girls to pursue STEM?

Early exposure to STEM subjects, female role models, and mentorship programs. UNESCO’s “Imagine a world with more women in science” campaign provides resources (UNESCO).

Which organizations provide reliable data on women in STEM?

UNESCO, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the UNDP are the primary tier-1 sources.

What are some successful corporate initiatives for women in STEM?

Mars runs mentorship programs; SIFCO shares employee stories to inspire girls (Mars, SIFCO).

Is the gender pay gap in STEM narrowing?

UN data shows women earn 20% less than men in STEM fields, and the gap has been slow to close (United Nations DESA).

How does mentorship affect women’s retention in STEM careers?

Mentorship is strongly linked to higher retention. Companies with formal mentorship programs report better female representation in technical roles (UNESCO).