It feels like we’re always applauding Icelanders for fighting for gender equality – most recently on October 24 when thousands of women participated in an all-day strike for pay parity – but the country has been pipped at the post in new analysis on the percentage of women in STEM roles.
Lithuania ranked first in the findings by cloud optimisation platform CloudZero, with 49 per cent of people in STEM roles being women, while Iceland came in second place with 45 per cent.
However, the data analysis also looked at a number of other factors, including average female wage per country, to rank 15 countries in how they champion women in STEM. And overall, Iceland nabbed the top spot.
This is no overnight success. Since 2000’s Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men in Iceland, many amendments have been made, all of which cumulatively help break barriers for women in the workforce.
Other high-ranking European countries include Netherlands, which took second place overall, but has the most STEM jobs per 1,000 women (13). While Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Poland, France and Luxembourg all took spots four to 10, in that order.
In eleventh place is Switzerland, followed by Ireland in twelfth place, while Lithuania landed thirteenth place overall, followed by Norway and the UK.
Graduate focus
Interestingly, with 43 per cent, Poland has the highest percentage of women STEM graduates, followed by the UK with 38 per cent, and unsurprisingly, both have active campaigns to introduce young women and girls to STEM through formal education.
However, in the UK, opportunities are more limited once you graduate. Currently, there are only five STEM roles per 1,000 women workers, and the country has the highest gender pay gap in Europe at 14 per cent.
For those starting a career in STEM, France is one to watch. Its commitment to R&D is cited as a reason for the second-highest demand for STEM workers, particularly in tech hubs of Toulouse, Paris and Lyon.
Finally, the report offers practical tips for women transitioning into STEM careers, including advice to secure a paid internship, build a strong peer network, join support groups, look at benefits before applying to roles, and ask about DE&I at the interview stage.
Engineering is the STEM field with the most job vacancies, and there are plenty of these roles on the Silicon Canal Job Board, and many more besides. Check out these three to start with.
Sr Experience Designer – 3D&I Substance, Adobe, Lyon, France
Adobe is in the news for its terminated merger with competitor Figma following regulatory challenges, but the creativity software brand keeps pushing forward. The company is currently hiring a Senior Experience Designer to join the 3D&Immersive Design team to help build the latest Adobe Substance 3D tools, as it believes 3D is the next wave of digital transformation for individuals and enterprises.
The successful candidate will partner closely with product, engineering and user research teams to deliver high-impact, innovative features through the creation of end-to-end user flows, design artificats and prototypes that help influence and steer product development.
Clear communication and collaboration are a must, as is proven experience and/or training in design or related fields. Apply here.
Database Engineer, ilionx, Hoorn, Netherlands
If you’re keen to make a visible contribution to important IT infrastructure, then look no further than this Database Engineer role with ilionx Healthcare. As part of this role, the successful candidate will manage, optimise, and monitor the technical infrastructure of healthcare institutions and hospitals, ensuring digital patient files remain available.
You’ll need a sharp analytical and abstract mind, a solution-orientated attitude and an ability to speak and write Dutch fluently. This role has a lot of responsibility and as such, the list of duties is detailed. Read more about it here.
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, Delaware, Belgium
Do you believe security is more and more important as hardware becomes replaced by cloud services? Then you could be a match for this Cloud Infrastructure Engineer role with Delaware, a company that stresses its commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment.
The successful candidate will ensure the company’s cloud environment is running smoothly, and will collaborate with the internal IT team to build new and innovative technologies and solutions.
You’ll need a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering or computer science, at least three years’ experience with Cloud and five years’ experience in IT infrastructure and an ability to communicate in English. Azure knowledge is a plus. Find out more here.
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