Science, Technology and Women’s Work

In Italy, the female employment rate (55.3%) is lower than the EU average (69.3%) and the gender pay gap remains significant. Many women leave work due to maternity or family care responsibilities (20%). According to the ISTAT 2023 Report, tertiary education supports female employment and job retention post-maternity. Despite this, only 18.1% of women graduate in STEM fields compared to 38% of men, with women preferring natural sciences and mathematics, while men choose engineering and ICT. Female-led innovative startups constitute 13.6% of the 13,402 registered by the end of 2023, showing a higher presence of graduates and PhDs. The rate of female inventors in Europe (13.2%) is lower than in the United States (15%) and significantly lower than in South Korea (28.3%) and China (26.3%). To improve the situation, it is necessary to address the gender gap in research, development, and innovation, and implement effective policies to increase female presence in these sectors. These topics will be discussed during the "We Make Future 2024" event organized by the COTEC Foundation in Bologna from June 13 to 15.