There is still a lot of work to do before Australian girls and women have an equal opportunity to learn, work and engage in STEM. So says the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

The Department’s 2023 STEM Equity Monitor shows that:

• Women make up 37% of enrolments in university STEM courses.
• Only 15% of STEM-qualified jobs are held by women.
• Only 23% of senior management and 8% of CEOs in STEM-qualified industries are women.

To tackle the serious issue of gender equity in STEM, Science and Technology Australia (STA) created the Superstars of STEM program in 2017. Its aim is to break the stereotypes about who can – and already does - work in STEM.

In this episode, STA CEO Misha Schubert tells how the Superstars of STEM program equips brilliant diverse STEM experts with advanced communication skills and opportunities so they can be role models and media experts for others to see.

We also talk to a current and past Superstar of STEM about what the program has meant to them. They are:

• Dr Muneera Bano, Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO’s Data 61.
• Dr Melissa Humphries, Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer and Mathematical sciences at the University of Adelaide.

Our host is Rose Crocker, an applied mathematician with the Australian Institute of Marine Science.