Close the Gap response to
Royal Society of Edinburgh investigation into ‘lifting the barriers to women in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics: a strategy for Scotland
August 2011
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Close the Gap is a partnership project that is working to close the gender pay
gap. Our partnership represents a range of interests, and includes Scottish
Government, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills
Development Scotland, Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, and the
Scottish Trades Union Congress.
1.2 Close the Gap works with employers, economic development agencies and
employees. The breadth of partnership recognises that equal pay is a productivity
issue as well as an issue of fairness and equality, and that narrowing the gender pay
gap would return aggregate productivity gains to the Scottish economy.
1.3 The current priority areas for the project are aligned to the Scottish Government
Economic Strategy highlighting the strong links between addressing the gender pay
gap and productivity. Close the Gap continues to build capacity within key economic
sectors including Finance, Energy and Life Sciences working with large private
sector organisations and small and medium enterprises, further and higher education
institutions and STUC affiliated trade unions.
1.4 Key outputs of the project are:
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The first outdoor advertising campaign around the pay gap in Scotland;
Work with large individual private sector and public sector organisations to
identify and address gender gaps;
A guide on equal pay reviews and job evaluation in partnership with Scotland’s
Colleges
A range of events to build capacity within STUC-affiliated trade unions, including
an annual legal update for reps and full time officers;
A guide to bargaining for equality for TU reps;
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Toolkits for small and medium enterprises to enable them to conduct quality
equal pay reviews, and to carry out job evaluation for the purposes of
ascertaining equal value;
A training module on occupational segregation, in partnership with the Glasgow
Caledonian University, School of Business and Society.
2.0 Occupational Segregation
2.1 Close the Gap recognises that vertical and horizontal occupational segregation is
one of the key causes of the gender pay gap. The pay gap in Scotland is currently 12
per cent when we compare men’s average full-time hourly earnings with women’s
average full-time hourly earnings and is 34 per cent when we compare men’s fulltime and women’s part-time average hourly earnings.1
2.2 Evidence to date has shown that the stereotyping of female and male roles mean
that women and men are concentrated into specific occupational sectors and
clustered into specific jobs. Women and men working in female dominated
occupations i.e. catering and cleaning are generally the lower paid and often viewed
as having lower status. The relationship between female-dominated occupations and
low pay is complex, but there is a strong suggestion that ’women’s work’ is
systematically undervalued within labour markets. 2
2.3 Furthermore, one of the key impacts of occupational segregation is on pay.
Olsen and Walby analysed the factors which underpin the gender pay gap and found
that occupational segregation and the ‘part-time working effect’ contributed
substantially to the gender pay gap.3 For women returning to the labour market after
maternity or a career break to look after family, the opportunities for part-time work
are often limited to low paid, lower valued work. This has implications for women with
STEM qualifications who cannot find part-time work which utilises their skills and
talent effectively.
2.4 Ghettoising of women into low-pay, low-status occupation means that women’s
skills are not effectively valued or utilised by the labour market. The Women and
Work Commission estimates the total benefits to reducing the segregation of jobs
between women and men and increasing women’s employment could be worth
between £15 billion and £23 billion. This represents 1.3 to 2.0 per cent of GDP in the
UK.4
1
Office of National Statistics (2010) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings,
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=1951 Accessed August 2011
2
See for example, Women and Work Commission (2006) Shaping a Fairer Future
3
Olsen, W., & Walby, S., (2004) Modelling Gender Pay Gaps, Equal Opportunities Commission,
Manchester
4 Women and Work Commission (2006) Shaping a Fairer Future Department for Trade and Industry,
London.
3.0 Education and training
3.1 The relationship between choice of subjects, area of study and resultant
occupation are intrinsically influenced by socially and culturally constructed gender
stereotypes of girls and boys from a young age. In Scotland, the choices school
students make in relation to subjects are heavily segregated where girls dominate
biology, social sciences, modern studies, arts, early years education, home
economics, and languages, and boys tend to dominate physics, technology,
computing, craft and design.5 The impact of these choices shapes the long term
education, training and employment patterns of girls and boys further compounding
gender differences. For example, in order to enter engineering it is often necessary
to have a physics and maths qualification. As a result, decisions as to what subjects
to do become more salient in the context of occupational segregation within STEM.
3.2 The Girl Guides Association 2010 survey found girls’ career aspirations are
heavily inclined towards gender stereotypes. The most popular careers mentioned
included hairdressing/beauty therapy, veterinary science, fashion/artistic design,
teaching and working in medical professions. The most popular career amongst
those surveyed up to the age of 16 was hairdressing/beauty therapy. After 16 this
preference changed to teaching and subsequently 44 per cent of the 16-21 year olds
surveyed had undertaken work experience at a school.6
3.3 Although both boys and girls require access to more information about the nature
of these careers, girls are subject to a separate set of pressures around subject
choice, career choice, and gender roles, which requires specific interventions. Girls
are still less likely to choose STEM subjects, and also more likely to discover that the
qualifications they have pursued will not enable them to apply successfully for STEM
related occupations. 7
Post-16 education and vocational training
3.4 The recently published Roe Review of post-16 education and vocational training
presents an opportunity to influence the development of the way post-16 education
and training is delivered in Scotland.8 The report presents a number of
recommendations to strengthen and better integrate arrangements with existing
employment and education systems.
3.5 It is disappointing however, that the review has not explicitly mentioned actions
necessary to tackle occupational segregation with education and vocational training.
5
Scottish Government Social Research (2010) Tackling Occupational Segregation a Review of Key
Evidence and National Policies, Scottish Government, Edinburgh available
www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch
6 Guide Association (2010) Girls’ Attitudes: Education, Training, Skills and Career Girl Guiding UK
[online] Available at: http://girlsattitudes.girlguiding.org.uk/pdf/Girls_Attitudes_education.pdf Accessed
December 2010
7 UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology (UKRC) (2010), Statistics:
women and men in science, engineering and technology the UK statistics 2010, Bradford.
8 Roe W., (2011) Review of Post-16 Education and Vocational Training in Scotland, Scottish
Government, Edinburgh
The Modern Apprenticeship Programme in Scotland, which is the key entry point to
the labour market for young people who are not participating in tertiary education, is
heavily gender segregated. Women are significantly less likely to be involved in
science, engineering and technology (SET) related courses. For example, in 2009
women accounted for 3 per cent of Engineering enrolments, 2 per cent of
Construction and Plumbing enrolments and 98 per cent of Early Years Education
enrolments.9 Interestingly, the percentage of women ‘in training’ as part of an MA
programme is currently only 26 per cent, suggesting there is a need to recruit more
female apprentices across all courses.10
3.6 However, there are cross-cutting areas within the recommendations of the Roe
Review where actions to tackle the barriers facing women studying, training and
working in STEM could be highlighted. For example, the development of Career
Information and Guidance services and the implementation of the Workforce
Development Strategy are both areas which given the gendered nature of the skills
shortages within STEM, where long term aspirations and medium term actions, with
explicitly identified gendered outcomes are required if we are to reverse women’s
lack of engagement with STEM study and occupations.
4.0 Underrepresentation of women in STEM occupations
4.1 To date there have been a number reviews and subsequent recommendations to
address the underrepresentation of women in STEM occupations in the UK. Most
notably was the SET Fair report in 2002 on women in STEM and Roberts Review in
2004 on the labour market supply of people with STEM skills. Both identified the
chronic underrepresentation of women studying and working in STEM related areas.
4.2 In 2002 SET Fair was instrumental in identifying the structural and cultural
barriers preventing women from entering and progressing within a STEM workplace.
SET Fair did not point to overt discrimination as the cause, but rather a number of
policies and practices within the workplace which will impact on women and men
differently. A number of these practices are fuelled by stereotypical perceptions of
women and men’s capabilities. The barriers cited in Set Fair, include:
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9
Few visible role models and mentors;
lack of transparency for pay and promotion procedures;
gender imbalance in the decision-making process;
slow setting-up and take-up of work life balance policies;
stereotyping of careers advice;
Skills Development Scotland National Training Programmes Performance Report April 2009-March
2010 http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/141308/ma%20breakdown%20%20all%20scotland.pdf Accessed October 2010
10 ibid
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lack of knowledge and experience for girls and young women in non-traditional
areas of work;
the publication record is heavily compromised by a career break or a (more
senior) partner relocating to a new institution;
flexibility and mobility are the cornerstones for promotion;
women having to work harder to convince and persuade their managers
that they want and need more responsibility which they see being given to
their male colleagues;
having to work against the perceptions of what women want and what women
can do.11
4.3 Many of these barriers are not specific to STEM workplaces, but are the same
structural barriers which prevent women progressing in workplaces throughout the
labour market. In 2006 the Women and Work Commission report Shaping a Fairer
Future and the subsequent progress report in 2009, made a number of
recommendations to governments, stakeholder organisations and employers to
tackle the barriers which limit women’s full access to the labour market and which
contribute to the gender pay gap. This includes barriers such as, lack of flexible
working opportunities particularly at senior grades, lack of a transparent pay and
grading system and a ‘long hours’ workplace culture.
4.4 Taking actions to address these barriers will benefit businesses and ensure
sustained economic growth. For example, in 2009 Close the Gap in partnership with
Glasgow Caledonian University, published a paper outlining the business case for
companies to consider gender equality in their workplace during an economic
downturn. It concluded that companies who take action show increased profitability
as a result of utilising the talent and skills of women more effectively, being able to
tap into new markets and being able to capitalise on women’s purchasing power.12
4.5 Research and development conducted by homogenous groups of workers
seems more likely to bring to market products that are unattractive or risky to other
groups of consumers. Examples of this are ‘male’ crash test-dummies being used to
test the first generation of airbags, to the mortal detriment of women and children
whose different physiologies rendered them vulnerable to unforeseen injury; artificial
heart valves being developed and produced that were wrongly sized for women’s
hearts; and early voice recognition software that was calibrated to men’s voices.13
Heterogeneity in R&D teams is likely to yield products that address a wider variety of
need, and, concomitantly, more likely to succeed in the marketplace.
11
Greenfield, S., Peters, J., Lane N., Rees, T., Samuels, G. (2002) SET Fair: A Report on
Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Department of Trade and Industry, London.
12 Thomson, E., (2009) Valuing Diversity: the business case for gender equality during an economic
downturn Close the Gap, Glasgow
13
Adapted from examples given in Margolis, J and A Fisher (2002) Unlocking the Clubhouse:
Women in Computing MIT, Cambridge.
4.6 The considerable benefits that would be returned if women were more effectively
engaged in STEM include:
Competitiveness – Scotland needs to engage the best people in the pursuit of
innovation in STEM.
Return on investment – the cost of training people in STEM is high. As many
qualified people in the workforce should be retained as possible.
Benefit to science – maximising diversity enhances the quality of STEM research
and development carried out.
Missed markets and skills – companies are losing out on markets and may be
missing out on benefits of STEM research and its application, when women are not
represented in the design and development of policies and products.
5.0 Examples of initiatives
5.1 Close the Gap welcomes all initiatives that address gender gaps within STEM
occupations. This includes successful long term programmes such as the
UK/Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology
and Interconnect and initiatives working with young people to promote science such
as STEM North of Scotland. Its aim is to not only link industry with local schools to
encourage the uptake of science, but also ensure that young people can see the
opportunities within their local labour market area.
Women in Renewable Energy Scotland
5.2 Women in Renewable Energy Scotland (WiRES) are a newly established forum
whose aim is to ‘inform, educate, support and encourage women currently involved
in the renewable energy industry.’ WiRES is modelled on other successful
network/forums in other industry areas such as Women in Property. The founders of
WiRES established the forum as a response to the anticipated skills demand if
Scotland is to realise its potential as a market leader in the renewable energy sector.
Estimates for the renewables sector suggest that women account for only 17 per
cent of employees and the majority tend to work in administration.14 At the same time
the emerging renewables sector is facing skills shortages, which is likely to impact
on any potential economic growth.
5.3 The WiRES inaugural event in Aberdeen attracted over 40 women, illustrating
the demand for networks which are specific to industry areas. From the event
evaluation, a number of the women were interested in attending specific CPD
courses in renewable energy and were also interested in mentoring support.
Initiatives, such as WiRES, to support women in STEM occupations are invaluable to
individual women and employers looking to attract the best available talent.
14
Ibid pg 51
5.4 However, the sustainability of these initiatives is vital, together with employer-led
interventions if a critical mass of women studying, training and working in STEM is to
be achieved. Otherwise potential economic growth will continue to be capped by
skills shortages.