Best practices from Ph.D. to Professor: Career Planning & Mentoring

This report presents an overview of the current state of gender disparity in STEM fields within the European Union, based on the findings from the She Figures 2021 report. Despite achieving near gender parity among doctoral graduates, significant gaps remain in employment and representation in specific STEM areas. The report highlights that women are less likely to be employed as scientists and engineers and are notably underrepresented in narrow STEM fields, such as Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics, ICT, Engineering, Manufacturing & Processing, and Architecture & Construction. Moreover, women face employment disparities, including a higher tendency to work part-time and under precarious contracts, especially in the Higher Education Sector. They are also underrepresented at the highest academic levels and in leadership positions within higher education institutions. To address these challenges, the booklet identifies best practices throughout the academic career path to promote equal opportunities for women and other minority groups. It aims to raise awareness, understand the underlying causes of gender imbalance, and suggest strategies for improvement, drawing inspiration from previous research and recommending the implementation of effective practices across institutions.