What’s driving the loss of skilled women in STEM?

Despite progress in education, women remain significantly underrepresented in many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) fields—and those who do enter are more likely to leave mid-career. In the UK, for example, women make up 30% of economics undergraduates, but just 15% of professors. So why are we still failing to retain this highly skilled and educated talent?

In this episode of Top of the Agenda, Dr Helen Jenkins is joined by Doctor Clémentine Van Effenterre, Professor at the University of Toronto, and Professor Sarah Smith OBE, from the University of Bristol. Together, they delve into the structural barriers, unconscious biases, and rigid career pathways that contribute to the attrition of women in STEM—and discuss what needs to change to build more inclusive and sustainable careers in the field.