Women in STEM review ‘threatens brain drain’

Organisations and events aimed at encouraging women into technology and science are at risk while the government reviews its Women in STEM grant program, female entrepreneurs say.

Girl Geek Academic founder Sarah Moran. Picture: David Caird

Organisations and events aimed at encouraging women into technology and science sectors are at risk of dying on the vine while the government takes the rest of the year to review its Women in STEM grant program, female entrepreneurs say.

Science and Industry Minister Ed Husic last year launched a ­review of programs intended to attract and retain women in the STEM sector, which is not due to report back until the final quarter of 2023. While the $100m in grants promised before the review are still rolling out, no new funding will be announced until the ­review is complete.

“The review is focused on finding out what works best – and then backing more of that,” Mr Husic said. “We want to double-down on programs that result in real world outcomes: more women entering and staying in STEM; and a STEM workforce that reflects the face of our broader Australian communities.”

But several female entrepreneurs said the year-long review would force the country to go backwards in getting women into STEM because of its long lead-time and result in a “brain drain”.

Sarah Moran – the founder of Girl Geek Academic, an organisation aimed at achieving gender equality in the technology sector – said she was extremely disappointed by the lack of urgency from the government.

“I’ve been pushed out of tech enough times to know when to move on. And that’s what I’m thinking about now,” she said.

“Putting things under a year-long review where the funding was not that substantial to begin with, does not make it feel like this is a priority.”

Ms Moran refused to apply for funding to achieve equality for women in STEM when Christian Porter was the minister, because she said she would have felt uncomfortable accepting money and posing for a photo with someone accused of mistreating women.

She said the $100m in funding was “not enough money to have ever made a difference” and confirmed she had urged Mr Husic’s office for an emergency fund while the review was completed.

Caitlin Boucher, a consultant specialising in grant writing and fundraising for companies in innovation and entrepreneurship, said funding needed to be better allocated and span many years rather than just 12 months.

She said the review had left many women assessing whether they could stay in the sector.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all that a lot of people are stepping away. It’s going to end in brain drain,” she said.

League of Extraordinary Women co-founder Sheryl Thai said that she would not be able to run the organisation’s landmark event to expose women and girls to leaders in technology and STEM this year and that the funding review needed to be completed much faster.

Women in STEM ambassador Lisa Harvey Smith said the individual program funding had not been well co-ordinated or well evaluated.

“When we look at structural systemic change, legislation, policy, things like that and supports for better workplaces and we’re actually helping everyone whereas these programs can’t by their very nature help everyone,” she said.

Opposition industry spokeswoman Sussan Ley said Mr Husic needed to immediately restart funding and that Labor had “made the situation for women in tech worse”.