STEM Equity Monitor

Explore Australia's data on women and girls in STEM

Date published:
26 July 2024

Topics

Diversity in STEM
Science, technology and innovation

Publisher

Department of Industry, Science and Resources

The STEM Equity Monitor is a national data resource on girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The monitor reports the current state of STEM gender equity in Australia and measures changes and trends.

We follow girls’ and women’s participation in STEM through school, higher education, graduation and the workforce. The interactive data lets you explore an area of interest or browse data across different stages of the STEM pathway.

Primary and secondary school data

Confidence, interest and skills in STEM start at a young age. Many factors influence girls’ perceptions and attitudes to STEM.

See how these early experiences can shape whether girls are motivated to take STEM subjects and aspire towards a STEM career.

Parents’ perceptions and attitudes to STEM

Explore how parents’ perceptions and attitudes to STEM influence young people's education and career choices.

Teachers and career advisers' perceptions and attitudes to STEM

Explore how educators’ perceptions and attitudes to STEM influence young people’s education and career decisions.

Youth perceptions and attitudes to STEM

Explore young people’s awareness and perceptions of STEM subjects and careers.

Perceptions and attitudes to STEM among gender diverse youth

Explore young gender diverse people’s awareness and perceptions of STEM subjects and careers.

Australian assessment scores

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment to see how each child is progressing against Australian literacy and numeracy standards over time.

International assessment scores

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests 15-year-old students from around the world in science, mathematics and reading.

Year 12 subject enrolment in STEM and other fields

Australian schools education data looks at enrolments for students by gender and field of education.

Higher education data

Students who study STEM at primary and secondary school may continue studying through university or vocational education and training (VET). These insights help us target support for women as they develop their skills and start STEM careers.

University enrolment and completion in STEM and other fields

Explore enrolment and completion rates of university students by field of education.

Vocational education and training enrolment and completion in STEM and other fields

Explore enrolment and completion rates of VET students by field of education.

Graduate outcomes data

Many factors impact graduates’ transition into the workforce over their first 10 years. STEM graduates’ work and life circumstances can help or hinder their progress.

Learn about the pathways women take towards STEM professions in their early careers.

University graduate outcomes for STEM and other fields

University graduates with undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications report on outcomes after completing their education.

Vocational education and training graduate outcomes for STEM and other fields

Graduates with vocational education and training (VET) qualifications report on their employment and income outcomes.

Occupation, industry and income outcomes for graduates of STEM and other fields

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data follows a cohort of graduates with a university qualification in 2011.

Occupation outcomes for graduates of STEM and other fields, by diversity groups

Understanding the multiple barriers underrepresented groups face, and how they interact, is important in supporting current and future STEM graduates.

Caring and domestic responsibilities among graduates of STEM and other fields

An important factor for attraction and retention in the workforce is work-life balance.

Further study by graduates and its impact on career outcomes

Explore the further study and career choices of 161,000 people who graduated university in 2011.

Careers breaks among STEM graduates

Explore the impacts of career breaks for further study, the arrival of a child, or a period of unemployment or very low income.

Workforce data

STEM skills are important in many industries and roles. This data looks at women’s representation across the STEM workforce and where women are succeeding or leading in STEM careers. You can also find data on the gender pay gap and gender equity policies.

STEM-qualified occupations

Australia’s Labour Force Survey reports how many women and men work in occupations each year.

Teaching and research workforce in STEM and other fields

Explore the composition of Australia's teaching and research staff.

Research funding in STEM and other fields

Explore success rates for women and men researchers in STEM and other fields.

STEM in the Australian Public Service workforce

STEM plays an important part in the Australian Public Service across a variety of STEM and non‑STEM roles.

Workforce and gender equality policies in STEM and other industries

Explore gender equity indicators for organisations in all sectors, including STEM-qualified industries.

Gender pay gaps in STEM and other industries

Every year the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reports on 6 Gender Equality Indicators for private sector employers with 100 or more employees across 19 industries.

Data in focus

In-depth analysis of specific topics.

Engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Girls in STEM

Download the data summary report

Case studies

Case studies complement our interactive data by sharing the views and experiences of girls, women and non-binary people in STEM.

Apr 2024

Equality in STEM workplaces: Geoscience Australia

Geoscience Australia is the first Australian organisation to receive 3 SAGE Cygnet Awards for its inclusive and gender equitable workplace.
Dec 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Kiowa Scott-Hurley

Kiowa Scott-Hurley shares her experiences with art, coding, supercomputing and navigating the STEM workplace as a queer Aboriginal woman with a chronic illness.
Nov 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Deanne Fisher

Deanne Fisher leads a research team that uses telescopes across the planet (and in orbit) to study galaxies and the formation of stars.
Nov 2023

Non-binary people in STEM: Camelia Walker

Dr Camelia Walker provided vital modelling for Australia’s COVID-19 response. They talk about the joys of epidemiology research and the challenges of being a transgender nonbinary person in STEM.
Oct 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Verity Normington

From a mining area in South Australia to Geoscience Australia, geologist Dr Verity Normington's career path wasn’t always easy.
Aug 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Xia Hua

Dr Xia Hua is a mathematical biologist and senior lecturer at the Mathematical Science Institute at the Australian National University.
Jul 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Cherie Davidson

Video game developer Cherie Davidson talks Gamergate, ADHD and why underrepresented creative voices are essential.
Jul 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Sharine ‘Spanner’ Milne

Spanner is a motorcycle mechanic who uses STEM skills in her work every day.
Jul 2023

Women and girls in STEM: Tich-Lam Nguyen

Tich-Lam’s journey took her from post-war Vietnam to COO of a major research centre.
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Amanda Barnard

Professor Amanda Barnard is one of Australia's most highly awarded computational scientists.
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Ella Burgun

Ella Burgun is a second-year biological science student at RMIT in Melbourne.
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Kim Dyball

Kim manages the Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy, giving young Indigenous women the tools and support they need to succeed in a STEM career
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Rachel Iglesias

Rachel Iglesias is a veterinarian and epidemiologist at the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Sherene Loi

Professor Sherene Loi is a medical oncologist specialising in breast cancer treatment. She is also a clinician scientist with expertise in genomics, immunology and drug development.
Sep 2022

Non-binary people in STEM: Ari Moloney

University student Ari Moloney shares thoughts on science communications, self-worth and how highlighting women and non-binary people’s achievements can sometimes trivialise them.
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Sarah Onoprienko

Sarah Onoprienko is a senior student at a regional high school in Queensland.
Sep 2022

Women and girls in STEM: Cayt Rowe

Dr Cayt Rowe leads research in the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) at the Department of Defence.

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Our methodology

Read about how we define STEM and compile the data behind this report.

We publish new data every year to provide an evidence base over 10 years.

Previous reports

Download the previous years’ data summary reports for the STEM Equity Monitor

Supporting reports

Youth in STEM Research Project

Women in STEM: longitudinal employment outcomes analysis

More information

Diversity in STEM review

The review aims to find ways to improve diversity in STEM.

Advancing Women in STEM

This strategy sets out the Australian Government’s commitment to increasing gender equity in STEM. It includes the 2020 Action Plan.

Women in STEM Decadal Plan

Developed by the Australian Academy of Science and Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, this plan outlines how the STEM sector can address gender equity up to 2030.