The numbers tell a clear story. Women make up roughly 33% of researchers worldwide, around 19% of national science academy members, about 22% of professionals working in artificial intelligence, and 28% of engineering graduates. These figures have improved over the past decade, but not by nearly enough. The question for schools isn’t whether the gender gap in STEM exists — it plainly does — but what they can practically do about it.
Where the Gap Opens
Research consistently shows that girls’ interest and confidence in STEM subjects begins to decline around age 9 or 10. By secondary school, the divergence is well established. This isn’t about ability — girls perform at least as well as boys in maths and science at primary level. It’s about identity. Somewhere between Year 4 and Year 8, many girls start to internalise the idea that STEM subjects aren’t “for them.”
That makes primary school the critical intervention point. By the time a student is choosing GCSEs, their perception of whether they belong in STEM is largely formed.
What Schools Can Do
There’s no silver bullet, but there are strategies that consistently make a difference:
1. Make Role Models Visible
If the only scientists on your classroom walls are white men in lab coats, you’re sending a message whether you intend to or not. Ada Lovelace, Mae Jemison, Tu Youyou, Katherine Johnson — the history of science is full of women whose contributions are still under-represented in schools. Make them visible. Better yet, bring in women working in STEM today. A female engineer talking about her actual job is worth a hundred posters.
2. Change the Context, Not the Content
Girls don’t need “pink” science. They need science that’s presented in contexts they find meaningful. Collaborative challenges, real-world problems, creative applications of technology — these approaches engage girls (and plenty of boys who were also switching off). Our experience running STEM workshops consistently shows that context is the single biggest factor in engagement.
3. Tackle Stereotype Threat Directly
Stereotype threat — the anxiety of confirming a negative stereotype about your group — is measurable and real. Simply telling students that “girls are just as good at maths as boys” can actually make it worse by highlighting the stereotype. Instead, focus on growth mindset language and normalise struggle for everyone. Frame difficulty as part of learning, not evidence of inability.
4. Audit Your Provision
Who’s in your coding club? Who gets chosen for STEM competitions? Who answers the most questions in science lessons? If you haven’t looked at the data, you might be surprised. An honest audit of participation and engagement across STEM subjects is the starting point for meaningful change.
The Long Game
Changing these statistics starts in classrooms, and it starts early. Every girl who leaves primary school believing she’s capable in science and technology is one more who might choose engineering at A-level, or computer science at university, or a career in AI. We’ve seen it first-hand in our corporate STEM programmes with Premier League clubs, where girls who thought coding wasn’t for them left buzzing about robots. The cumulative effect of small, consistent actions in schools is how we shift those percentages. It won’t happen overnight, but it won’t happen at all if we don’t start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are girls underrepresented in STEM?
Research shows the confidence gap opens as early as age 6, when girls begin to associate brilliance with boys. By secondary school, subject choices are already narrowing. Contributing factors include a lack of visible female role models, stereotype threat, and curriculum materials that inadvertently reinforce gender norms.
How can schools encourage girls in STEM?
Schools can make a significant difference by ensuring equal access to hands-on STEM activities, using diverse role models, avoiding gendered language around subjects, celebrating female STEM achievements, and providing collaborative rather than competitive learning environments where girls thrive.
Do STEM workshops help close the gender gap?
Yes. In-school STEM workshops reach every student by default, removing the self-selection bias that affects opt-in activities like clubs and trips. When all students participate, girls discover abilities and interests they might never have explored otherwise.
