STEM industries are a 'leaky pipeline' for women

NSW Young Woman of the Year and software engineer Hannah Beder described the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) industries as a leaky pipeline for the women attempting to build their career in these areas.

Ms Beder volunteers with the organisation Code Like a Girl which reaches out and brings women and girls into the fold of STEM programming and software engineering.

The leaky pipeline metaphor “illuminates the different issues that women face” and the “reasons women might leave the industry,” she said.

“You can’t be what you can’t see, which means that when I look at the future of my role as a software engineer… I’ve got the dual issue of getting those promotions and excelling in my career but also making it known that I can do that in the first place”.

Ms Beder said “there are some fantastic women who have been in the industry for a long time and you’ll find they are the most tenacious… and are guiding these younger women”.

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