Although the advancement of women is regularly called for by politicians and society, women are still underrepresented in science and large parts of the economy. This is reflected in horizontal and vertical segregation and also affects economically important scientific and technical fields as well as business start-ups. With regard to the reasons for the underrepresentation of women, our knowledge of the impact of practical measures to promote women is very limited. It is therefore necessary to take a comprehensive look at the range from school education to professions in the STEM sector and the sector itself as an organizational context in Saxony.
The results and recommendations for action arising from the project are aimed at expanding the recruitment and qualification potential of women in STEM professions. Untapped potential for the Saxon labor market is to be identified, which will contribute to securing the next generation of skilled workers in this area.
As part of this interdisciplinary research project involving several Saxon colleges and universities (TU Dresden, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Hochschule Mittweida and Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz), the TRAWOS Institute is systematically analysing the context of women's advancement using the Soft Systems Methodology in order to identify effective leverage points for organizational action and derive appropriate measures. In addition, the social context of gender differences in the state of Saxony will be analyzed starting from the university system and including other relevant systems (e.g. companies, regional network structures).
