According to OECD data, there is a considerable underrepresentation of women entering, enrolling in, and graduating from tertiary educational (bachelor, master, and doctoral) programs in engineering, manufacturing, and construction (EMC) programs and information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Spain. Compared to men, women make up a smaller proportion of students in tertiary programs. Women comprised only 27.2 percent of new students entering a bachelor’s degree program in engineering, manufacturing, or construction in 2020, and 14.6 percent of students entering a bachelor’s degree in information technology.
The troubling trend continues through enrollment and graduation. Women enroll in and graduate from ICT areas at a lower rate than men, particularly in ICT. In 2020, for example, women comprised 13.4 percent of students enrolled at the bachelor’s level and 13.6 percent of ICT graduates identified as women. When analyzing which discipline and level of education, the Master’s programs in EMC are close to gender parity, with 38 percent of enrolled and graduating students identifying as female.
Additional Resources
- OECD (2022), Education at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris.
