Closing the gender gap in Stem education and employment

In recent years, the topic of Stem degrees has become central to public and political debate, recognised as a strategic lever for the country's competitiveness, innovation and digital and ecological transition. However, despite increased awareness of and investment in Stem education, Italy continues to suffer from a worrying talent shortage that is aggravated when the gender gap is considered. In fact, although women are brighter and achieve better results in Stem studies, the picture taken by AlmaLaurea's Focus Gender Gap 2025 reveals a reality that is struggling to change: the gender gap in the labour market, especially in terms of pay and employment stability, is still strong and structural. The Survey on the Profile of Graduates highlights how the female component is still in the minority in Stem courses, where it represents only 41.4% of the total. The Survey on Employment Status five years after graduation shows that among Stem graduates, the female employment rate is high (90.1%) but remains lower than the male rate (92.6%). Among Stem graduates there remains agender pay gap of 12.6%: 1,798 euros per month for women compared to 2,025 euros for men. The problem is not preparation: it is cultural and structural. Stereotypes that associate Stem careers with the male gender persist, fuelled by a lack of female role models in the media and schools. Women are less represented in top roles, less present among start-ups and more often employed on precarious contracts. The motherhood penalty worsens the picture: women with children work less and earn significantly less than their male colleagues. The figure is alarming because, in addition to the wage issue, it signals a progressive exclusion of mothers from the stable and well-paid labour market, especially in the most innovative sectors where Italy already lags significantly behind. But what strategies should be activated to counter the emergence of the gender gap in Stem degrees? In order to reduce the gender gap in Stem degrees, orientation actions are needed, starting as early as middle school, such as workshops and meetings with female professionals, which can help overcome gender stereotypes and make Stem disciplines more attractive to girls. A key role is also played by the expansion of Stem courses, through integrated pathways with the world of production and the creation of professionalising three-year degrees, capable of facilitating female entry into highly specialised and well-paid sectors. To reduce economic barriers, it is strategic to introduce dedicated scholarships for female Stem students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. These instruments must act as a concrete incentive and not only as financial support, helping not to waste valuable talent. Women's excellence in research and enterprise must also be valorised through prizes, doctorates and funds for women-led start-ups. Offering visibility to positive models is essential to motivate new generations to follow similar paths. To counter the so-called motherhood penalty, we need welfare policies that foster a real sharing of family responsibilities, with equal and compulsory parental leave also for fathers, structural smart working and specific support measures for university and business careers. It is crucial that parenthood is not perceived as an obstacle, but as an integral part of working life. In order to close the gender pay gap, it is essential to ensure transparency on pay data disaggregated by gender, role and sector. Pay transparency is a powerful tool to promote equity, empower organisations and provide workers with the information they need to negotiate fair pay and working conditions. Only with clear and accessible data can progress be measured and effective policies to close the gender pay gap once and for all be guided. Italy cannot afford to waste the potential of its female graduates. Stem women represent a crucial resource for the digital transition, for innovation and for sustainable growth. Closing the gender gap in Stem education and employment is not just a matter of equity and justice, but an economic and strategic priority that is indispensable for the country's competitive future.

Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Sociology, Communication and Director of the Master's Degree Course in Data Science for the Public Administration, Sapienza - University of Rome, Member of the Scientific Committee of the Permanent Observatory on the Adoption and Integration of Artificial Intelligence, Aspen Institute Italia