She Figures: Understanding gender inequalities in research and STEM in Europe

In the field of digital and scientific skills, data play a key role in understanding existing imbalances, monitoring their evolution and guiding public policies. The She Figures report, published by the European Commission, is today the main source of reference on women's participation in research and innovation in Europe. The most recent edition, She Figures 2024, was released in February 2025.

What is She Figures?

She Figures is a European Commission publication that gathers comparable data on the participation of women and men in research and innovation across Europe. The 2024 data collection covers 44 countries: the EU-27, the United Kingdom and the countries associated with Horizon Europe.

The report analyses the entire scientific journey, from higher education to research management positions and academic and scientific careers. Published every three years since 2003, it is a reference tool for understanding gender dynamics in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The 2024 edition also introduces a pilot She Figures Index, a composite indicator tracking each Member State's progress on gender equality in research and innovation.

What the data show

The different editions of She Figures highlight several structural trends.

1. A parity achieved at doctoral level, but not in careers

Women account for about half of PhD holders in Europe. This indicates an overall balanced access to higher education. However, this parity is not found in scientific and technical careers: women make up just over a third of researchers across Europe.

2. Persistent under-representation in technical STEM

In the most technical disciplines such as computer science, engineering or physics, women remain significantly under-represented. In ICT, only 22% of doctoral graduates are women. Despite progress, these areas remain male-dominated.

3. A leaky pipeline effect

As careers progress, the proportion of women decreases. This phenomenon concerns in particular:

• Senior Academic Positions
• Management positions in research
• Scientific Leadership Positions

4. Still limited gender mainstreaming in research

The data also show that the gender dimension is still insufficiently taken into account in research and innovation content.

Why this data is important for digital skills

In a context of digital transformation and the rise of artificial intelligence, these data is particularly important. They make it possible to:

• better understand inequalities in advanced digital skills pathways
• identify barriers to access to STEM pathways
• guide education and training policies
• reinforce digital inclusion strategies

She Figures is thus a reference tool for any initiative related to digital skills and gender equality.

How to Use She Figures

This resource can be used in several contexts:

• Education and guidance: It raises young people’s awareness of gender inequalities in scientific and digital pathways and feeds into guidance actions.
• Digital skills and training: It can be used to integrate a gender perspective into digital skills and artificial intelligence training programmes.
• Public policies and European projects: It provides a reliable evidence base for Erasmus+ projects, European initiatives and diversity and inclusion strategies.

Key takeaways

• She Figures is Europe's leading source of gender data in research and innovation
• Women are now well represented at the level of degrees and qualifications, but underrepresented in advanced scientific careers
• Inequalities remain particularly high in technical STEM
• Data are key to building inclusive digital skills policies