Diversity is essential for business success in the modern world, according to a new report released by the University of South Australia.
The South Australian Academy for Gender Equity in STEM (SAAGES) report found that diversity is not just an ethical concern or a box to tick.
Report co-author, Dr Florence Gabriel, said research proves that companies with a diverse workforce are more profitable and creative.
“These high-performing companies not only had more women on their staff; they also had a greater gender mix in their senior leadership,” she said.
In Australia, only 16 per cent of the STEM skilled workforce are women while 90 per cent of women with a STEM qualification work in non-STEM related fields, according to the Australian Academy of Science.
The feedback from women who took part in the think tanks suggests that STEM careers are no longer considered “nerdy” or “unpopular”, but they remain difficult environments for women to thrive in.
Inflexible work hours and a failure among many employers to acknowledge that the burden of unpaid care work for children and older parents still falls disproportionately on women is another major obstacle.