The challenge of getting brilliant women into STEM roles is both frustrating and inexplicable

In 2024, despite the wide range of opportunities, there are still challenges getting women into STEM careers and encouraging them to progress to leadership positions.

The number of females continuing to study STEM subjects after GCSEs is only 35 per cent, with this decreasing to 25 per cent choosing to do so at university.

Also, women make up just 29.4% of the STEM workforce. Even fewer are in leadership positions or at board level, despite research showing that large UK firms whose executive boards were one-third female were ten times more profitable on average than all-male boards.

Clearly, gender equality serves not just the team, but the company and the economy.

The pharma and life sciences industries have a real opportunity to improve awareness and help to increase interest and engagement in STEM, especially as women have lived experience of certain conditions.

This is important for setting the right strategies that will be relevant and appropriately positioned.

There are many success stories of women who have risen up the ranks in STEM careers. Here, three leaders share their journeys and give advice to others thinking of careers or their next role in these industries.

At the beginning of my career, women were scarce in the biotech world. I was in sales and most of my customers were older men, so I felt that I wasn’t always taken seriously.

Informal networking, which remains important for career advancement, was much more difficult given the prevalence of gender-specific membership clubs, golf games, sports leagues, etc.

However, as more and more women started joining the STEM ranks, company policies changed, paving the way for behaviours to change.

In addition, organisations started focusing on getting and keeping more women in leadership roles, which helped create space for women to network, develop leadership skills and engage male leaders as allies.

If you’re working in a STEM career today or considering working in a STEM career in the future, here is some advice that will help open doors to advance your career.

Be intentional about the work you choose to take on – ask yourself what gifts it will bring to you in your career. Take on the assignments that are likely to have higher visibility or expose your skills to a new audience.

If you already lead a team, create an environment where everyone’s voice can be heard and ensure that the women on your team have a chance at the interesting or challenging assignments – then publicly celebrate their success.

Women often get ‘soft’ or non-specific feedback that’s hard to make actionable. Identify career stakeholders with whom you can create a relationship with so that they can observe, provide feedback and further your development.

Having a trusted network can help you translate feedback into specific behaviours, skills and experiences that will allow you to take practical steps in your development.

Foster a culture of support and allyship – men have played such an important role in my own career development, both as direct managers and colleagues.

Their mentorship, sponsorship, willingness to challenge me and take risks with me have all helped shape the leader I am today. When I created my first career stakeholder map, everyone on it was a man, given that they were in key leadership roles.

Having male allies was – and remains – critical. But don’t stop there. Proactively reach out to women in your organisation and get curious about what their aspirations are, as well as their challenges.

If you’re a leader, consider sponsoring talented women in your organisation to help them find their next meaningful promotion and build the future.

My advice to women who want to start a STEM career is to go for it! We need brilliant, collaborative STEM leaders to help solve the complex problems our world faces – and solving those problems will take diverse perspectives.

Doina Ionescu is Managing Director UK and RoI at Merck Healthcare

There are so many opportunities and ways to get into STEM careers and grow the role you want. Just because you also start in one particular role, doesn’t mean you can’t diversify across your career.

I am proof of this. I started my career as a nuclear physicist in Romania and later decided to change my focus to healthcare, leading me to join Merck 25 years ago as a research scientist.

Since I joined Merck, I have worked across a wide range of regional roles across Europe and global level roles, including business development, corporate mergers and acquisitions, commercial excellence, business strategy, and innovation and commercial operations.

I have been a researcher, a project manager and a financier before moving into general management.

The reason I love working in STEM and the reason I chose to build a career in this field is because it has so much to offer beyond just working in a lab.

The guiding light you receive in STEM is a rational, logical mind; this is a way of thinking that you carry with you in life and which is valuable across roles.

In my current role as a leader, and as a woman working in STEM, one of my priorities is to nurture an inclusive culture to empower everyone equally.

But helping to further attract young girls and women into these industries and then support them to stay in their roles and progress to leadership is of critical importance in STEM.

When talking about barriers to careers in the industry, women often cite a lack of company policies such as flexible working arrangements or support for different stages of a woman’s life.

I really urge companies in STEM to provide the additional support as employers that women may need at various stages throughout their lives.

In my role I have overseen the implementation of such initiatives at Merck, such as flexible working, fertility treatment and leave policy – including financial support for fertility tests and treatment, a menopause policy and champions, a mental health first-aider network and employee support groups for women in leadership.

We also engage all our leaders, both women and men, in various development programmes, unconscious bias trainings, diversity workshops, leadership events and mentoring programmes.

I have seen some progress over the years working in life sciences and I am proud that today in my own leadership team, over 50 per cent are women.

But supporting women is not just about role modelling in leadership positions, but championing women individually and collaboratively regardless of their level and role in the organisation.

We must encourage celebration of the full set of skills and diverse views women bring, and do our part to foster inclusive workplaces as allies.

My advice, whether thinking about starting a career in STEM or looking for your next step up:

• Lean into the skills and emotions that set you apart, whether that is curiosity, compassion, social or emotional intelligence
• Find mentors and role models who you look up to. You can join a professional organisation and network with others in your field who can inspire you and support your journey
• Don’t shy away from showing your passion and vulnerability; these traits are important for sustainable careers and continuous learning in life sciences, and will give you the skills required for success as a leader
• Define your dream. Make it your responsibility to acquire the skills you need to get there. It is not about career planning; it is about seizing opportunities that are enriching and feed your motivators.

Jie Shen is Vice President is Local Delivery Translational Sciences at AbbVie

My journey into healthcare began with a deliberate focus to leverage my STEM training in an applied fashion, which is why I pursued a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences after my undergraduate degree in chemistry.

Despite advances in healthcare, it is the ongoing challenges and the potential of science to transform patients’ lives that fuels my desire to contribute to the healthcare industry.

During my career, I’ve observed a significant increase in women in leadership roles within the industry, all the way to the boardroom.

At AbbVie, we’re focused on fostering awareness and appreciation of our diversity, including enabling and empowering women globally to reach their full potential through our Women Leaders in Action employee resource group.

Seeing the advancements we’ve made at AbbVie, I think there are ways the industry can continue to drive change.

Employers have the power to build a lasting female leadership footprint that attracts and maintains industry-leading talent for today and beyond.

As I mentioned, at AbbVie, the Women Leaders in Action group aims to empower women globally to reach their full potential by providing guidance, networking opportunities and advocacy, helping women navigate the industry and overcome potential barriers.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by women in balancing work and personal responsibilities, and implementing policies to reflect this, will help support women to thrive and have a healthy work-life balance.

Flexible working, options for remote work and parental leave are important to retaining women in STEM.

Through our employee resource group, we offer mentoring and have executive leaders sponsor other women to activate their career development. Sponsors can advocate for mentees, enhance visibility, create advancement opportunities and share knowledge.

On a personal level, I have found it rewarding to share my experience with my junior colleagues who are just starting their careers, and as a bonus, I get to benefit from their fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, which challenge me to continue learning alongside them.

This proactive approach could be a game changer for women in STEM fields.
To aspiring women in STEM careers, I offer this advice:

• STEM fields require curiosity and a genuine interest in understanding the world around us. Embrace your passion in STEM subjects and pursue educational programmes that will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills
• Explore internships, research opportunities, and hands-on experiences to gain practical exposure and build a solid foundation in your chosen field
• Seek opportunities to establish connections with experienced peers in the industry, to help build your profile and develop your knowledge. In my experience, I have helped younger colleagues expand their understanding of the field and cultivate a passion for scientific discovery.