A $100 million investment encouraging women to take up jobs in the science and technology sector has come to little, with a new government report showing the number of females in related occupations has barely budged over the past decade.

The STEM Equity Monitor reveals only 10 per cent of women with a science, technology, engineering or mathematics qualification continue to work in the field. A yawning gender pay gap, low levels of seniority, high levels of unemployment and lack of job satisfaction all contribute to the dire picture.