Women, SET and the recession
The recession is having a major impact on science, engineering, technology and
the built environment (SET) in the UK. Applications to study SET subjects are
rising, while employment opportunities have diminished. Some sectors are harder-hit
than others. Women in SET, alongside men, are facing reductions in working time,
redundancy and unemployment.
At the same time, science, engineering, the built environment and technology
are areas of innovation and possible growth that have the potential to fuel economic
recovery and boost environmental sustainability. We believe that regeneration
can only be achieved if gender equality remains a cornerstone of all employment
practice, and if women are part of the SET workforce at all levels.
At the UKRC we are therefore working with others to:
- keep gender equality firmly on the SET agenda throughout the recession
- offer services to individual women affected by cut-backs
- provide information and advice to employers and others
- offer opportunities for discussion and information-sharing
- influence government policy and practice to sustain best practice and build opportunities
Listen to the podcast of our recession debate at the Institute of Physics, 25 June 2009.
Three of our recent guest bloggers have sparked interesting discussions about
the economic crisis and women in SET:
We have also started up some discussions in the Women in Science forum at Nature Network.
Sharing information and gathering case studies
We are gathering information from different sources about the impact of the recession
on women in SET. If you would like to share your story or discuss the issues with
us, please contact Ruth Wilson on 01274 436485.
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