Across different job roles and industries, a lack of diversity between genders has proven controversial, but what is the true extent of the issue? We have gone in-depth to see where the problem lies, going from Universities to the Boardroom.
Higher Education Vs Industry
Total number of students currently enrolled by subject in the UK female vs male.
| Subject | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine & dentistry | 37,335 | 28,660 |
| Agriculture & related subjects | 11,855 | 7,350 |
| Computer science | 16,040 | 77,170 |
| Engineering & technology | 26,955 | 134,340 |
| Law | 53,545 | 34,035 |
| Business & administrative studies | 161,450 | 165,325 |
| Mass communications & documentation | 28,775 | 19,825 |
| Education | 124,960 | 39,405 |
| Total number in HE overall | 1,273,335 | 992,370 |
Percentage of students female vs male in the UK:
| Subject | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine & dentistry | 56.57% | 43.43% |
| Agriculture & related subjects | 61.73% | 38.27% |
| Computer science | 17.21% | 82.79% |
| Engineering & technology | 16.71% | 83.29% |
| Law | 61.14% | 38.86% |
| Business & administrative studies | 49.41% | 50.59% |
| Mass communications & documentation | 59.21% | 40.79% |
| Education | 76.03% | 23.97% |
| In HE overall | 56.20% | 43.80% |
Gender Distribution By Profession
| Selected Profession | % of women in profession |
|---|---|
| Nurses | 88% |
| Teachers (secondary) | 60% |
| Solicitors | 45% |
| Doctors | 44% |
| Accountants | 43% |
| Police Officers | 26% |
| IT Specialists | 17% |
| Civil Engineers | 11% |
Gender Across Sectors
For the key industries, there are disparities in both job type and salary. See how the different sectors compare below.
| Gender Pay Gap | PROPORTION OF FEMALES IN ROLES BY INDUSTRY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONSUMER | 49% | ||||
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | CEOs | |
| % of women | 33% | 26% | 16% | 10% | |
| ENERGY | 31% | ||||
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | CEOs | |
| % of women | 24% | 19% | 11% | 0% | |
| FINANCIAL SERVICES AND INVESTORS | 38% | ||||
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | CEOs | |
| % of women | 43% | 33% | 20% | 9% | |
| HEALTHCARE | 15% | ||||
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | CEOs | |
| % of women | 39% | 31% | 15% | 6% | |
| INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY | 25% | ||||
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | CEOs | |
| % of women | 32% | 21% | 11% | 5% | |
| MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND INFORMATION | 18% | ||||
| Role | Junior | Mid-Level | Senior | CEOs | |
| % of women | 35% | 25% | 25% | 13% | |
In the Boardroom
Many nations are doing their bit to close the gap in terms of having females at the very top of companies. We’ve highlighted the best and worst countries for disparity in boardroom.
Bottom 5
| Country | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 95.45% | 4.55% |
| Czech Republic | 93.83% | 6.17% |
| Russia | 92.50% | 7.50% |
| Portugal | 89.91% | 10.09% |
| Greece | 85.71% | 14.29% |
Top 5
| Country | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Norway | 60.29% | 39.71% |
| Sweden | 62.34% | 37.66% |
| France | 62.52% | 37.48% |
| Italy | 67.80% | 32.20% |
| Finland | 69.12% | 30.88% |
Global Average
| Country | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 73.75% | 26.25% |
| United States | 80.08% | 19.92% |
| Global 2016 | 81.51% | 18.49% |
| Glob al 2014 | 84.76% | 15.24% |
Sources:
- https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/11-01-2018/sfr247-higher-education-student-statistics/subjects
- https://www.egonzehnder.com/gbda
- http://reports.weforum.org/future-of-jobs-2016/consumer/
- hesa.ac.uk
- egonzehnder.com
- reports.weforum.org
- summer.harvard.edu
- statista.com
- ons.gov.uk
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Qin Mengxue says
It is really unbelievable for me to realize the big difference in workplace in two genders by statistics. I have also known the fact ,but I was thinking maybe there is less gap between males and female unless some occupations have special requirement. And I also pay attention to the fact that there are more and more females who in charge of higher position. And I think it is a good change which seems to be slow but never stops.So I hope there are less differences between two genders in the future.
CHANG SHIXAUN says
There is still a long way to go about feminism. We need to empower women and girls across the board, including their opportunities to go to school and their opportunities to work. We know that in many countries families can sacrifice the education of a girl for the education of a boy. Even some girls’ funds are being misappropriated by men. We need women to join forces to have a greater voice in society to protect their rights.
Xu, Ailin says
I could see from the statistical tables that the proportion of women in management is very low compared to that of men in different sectors, And this is a common phenomenon in many countries. I hope women’s working ability can be better recognized in the future. And Women themselves should also be more confident to participate in leadership work.