Balancing act: redefining gender bias in STEM jobs

Sharon Hanly, ALS Pharmaceutical, examines how the gender bias can be redefined in STEM jobs.

“The trouble with girls in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them, they cry.”

A year ago, this comment by a Nobel prize winning scientist hit the headlines of newspapers around the world. It kicked off vast column inches of comment accompanied by such negative reaction in the social media and beyond that the speaker, Sir Tim Hunt, resigned as honorary professor in the life sciences department, University College London.

Last month my laboratory, ALS Pharmaceutical in Ely, Cambridgeshire, was cited in the news twice regarding gender issues – firstly when it came to light that we had an 80-20 ratio in favour of women in senior positions in the facility and then came an announcement that I had been shortlisted for a First Women Award in Science and Technology. Consequently, EPM asked me to write about gender bias in STEM jobs – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – and on how ALS has bucked the trend.

Firstly, though, I needed to analyse and define the gender bias – if there is indeed a bias in the first place. The data on the issue needs unpicking. For example, the most recent numbers from the UK’s Office of National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey, does indicate that just under 15% of STEM posts in the UK are filled by women; with women making up approximately 50% of the workforce, that is a considerable gender gap.

However, STEM comprises a spectrum of jobs and if you unpick each sector then the gender bias turns out to be similarly broad. There are more women in ‘associate health professionals’ and ‘health professionals’ roles than men, for example, at 63% and 54% respectively. The next band, science professionals, is almost even but from then on there is a steep decline in the ratio from women to men, with the far end of the scale indicating that in skilled trades less than 1% are filled by females.

When it comes to higher education, there is even a wider range. At one end of the spectrum, last year over 80% of graduates gaining qualifications in ‘subjects allied to medicine’ were in fact women. At the other end of the data charts, just 14% of the engineering and technology graduates were female.

These ranges may make the second part of the request from EPM – for me to explain how ALS has bucked the trend – a little weaker, as life sciences tends to be a part of the STEM spectrum that is less likely to show such a distinct gender bias.

However, if you add into the mix the number of women in senior posts in pharma companies, it becomes more complex. Firstly, it is not always easy to discover the numbers, and secondly, data that is available tends to indicate senior or Board level posts filled by women hover around 10% to 17%.  Again, I am in the unusual position of working for a company whose parent – ALS Limited – has a female chairman, Nerolie Withnall.

This perhaps is where I can contribute to the debate. First and foremost, I am fiercely focused on meeting our clients’ needs – having also experienced being a client in this sector myself. I believe in creating a close-knit team of women and men that share a passion for the scientific analysis and services we provide. Our laboratory is like a second family underpinned by a deep sense of loyalty and commitment. Also, I think I have created an atmosphere where women in science do not feel out of place – if anything, it has seemed perfectly natural for women to thrive here and develop their careers both managerially and technically.

More senior roles in the pharma industries will be filled by women, creating an opportunity for female mentors to keep that momentum growing.  It is clear from the differences between the ‘in post’ stats and the higher education data, that boosting the talent pool in science - from classroom to laboratory - is critical not just for closing the gender gap, but for future economic and business growth in STEM.

I have been inspired by science and would seek to forge stronger links with the education community to bridge the gap between the perceptions of science careers with the reality. After all, what other career could you have where every day is different, you’re with a bunch of like-minded committed and passionate co-workers, and you are doing vital work, helping people and making a positive difference to the world around you.