In 2024, the Swedish government launched a new national strategy for STEM education and skills — aiming to strengthen the country’s long-term capacity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Central to this strategy is a recognition of the persistent gender imbalance in technical education and professions, and the urgent need to engage more women in these fields.
Despite women achieving high academic results in mathematics and science, they remain underrepresented in higher technical education. For instance, while 55% of students in Sweden’s natural sciences upper-secondary program are women, only a small fraction continue to university studies in engineering or ICT. The government acknowledges that social expectations, confidence gaps, and stereotypical ideas about “who belongs” in technology continue to influence these career choices.
To address these challenges, Sweden’s strategy outlines a comprehensive set of measures — from early education to higher studies — to ensure equal opportunities and to strengthen interest among girls and women in STEM. Among the most relevant initiatives are:
- Strengthening early STEM education through teacher training and programmes such as Naturvetenskap och teknik för alla (“Science and Technology for All”), designed to make science learning engaging, particularly for girls.
- Targeted recruitment and outreach, with universities and colleges encouraged to review communication, course descriptions, and collaboration with industry to make technical education more attractive to women.
- The “Tekniksprånget” programme, which offers paid internships in engineering fields and now places a special focus on encouraging female participation.
- Increased visibility of role models and collaboration between schools, industry, and science centres to highlight real career pathways and counter stereotypes about who can work in technology.
To coordinate and strengthen these efforts, the government has established a STEM Delegation (STEM-delegationen) to lead a joint national mobilisation for increasing participation in STEM education.
The Delegation’s mandate includes:
- promoting coordination and cooperation among relevant authorities, regions, municipalities, higher education institutions, and industry to ensure that more people can and want to pursue STEM education;
- working specifically to increase girls’ and women’s interest in science and technology; and
- considering ways to integrate social sciences, innovation, humanities, and artistic perspectives into STEM education, to create a broader and more inclusive learning environment.
These actions are grounded in the understanding that gender equality in STEM is not only a matter of fairness but also a key driver of Sweden’s innovation capacity, green transition, and global competitiveness. As the strategy notes, if women’s potential remains underutilised, Sweden risks a severe skills shortage in sectors that are critical for its digital and sustainable future.
For HER TECH, the Swedish example provides a clear policy framework that aligns closely with our mission: to promote systemic change that empowers women to pursue and thrive in ICT careers. Sweden’s holistic approach — combining education, policy, and industry collaboration — demonstrates that attracting women to STEM starts early but requires sustained effort across the entire learning and professional journey.
By learning from national strategies like Sweden’s, HER TECH continues to advocate for policies that break down gender barriers in ICT, ensuring that the technologies shaping our future are driven by diverse minds and perspectives.
