CaSE Debate: Women in Science

I learnt a shocking fact about women in UK science at the CaSE debate. Half of state schools send not a single female student to A-level physics. Perhaps this may not be so shocking to some – physics is still thought of as a predominantly male discipline. However, after coming from an all girls grammar school I forgot these stereotypes are still so engrained in society. In my school year roughly a quarter of girls took A-level physics.

Along with physics, both biology and chemistry were well received at school – I myself took A-level biology. In this respect I represent the far greater proportion of girls in the UK. Biology is seen as the ‘girls’ science, with dreams of one day become a doctor being at the root of this. However, unlike other degrees the number of places for medicine are set by the government each year as advised by the NHS. Therefore when leaving physics and chemistry behind if girls do not make the cut for medicine they may find it hard to find roles in other science and engineering sectors, leading to our female deficit.

How can we inspire females to follow predominantly male-based areas of science? On this all parties agreed. Ambition needs to be fostered in school and from an early age. Female role models are required – for example Roma Agrawel, a female structural engineer who worked on The Shard. And stereotypes need breaking down. I myself am guilty of replying “thank you” when someone tells me “you don’t look like a geologist”. We should be dismissing that a geologist or physicist has a certain look. Not just in gender but in age and ethnicity as well. Diversity can only help science. The more minds and viewpoints that are shared and contrasted, the more likely scientific discoveries are likely to occur.