CamAWiSE at Bicycle Therapeutics: Reflections from the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

By Agnieszka Rutkowska, Chair, CamAWISE

CamAWiSE celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with an invited talk at Bicycle Therapeutics in Granta Park, Cambridge. A warm thank you to Abby Cottage and Wunmi Frederick for inviting us and organising such a thoughtful and well-attended session.

It was a powerful event and a reminder that amplified voices matter and drive positive change. The room was packed, with colleagues across all seniority levels fully engaged, asking excellent (and challenging) questions, and contributing openly. We also had over 30 participants joining online, including early-morning dial-ins from the East Coast in the US - a strong signal that there is a need for conversations about addressing the gender gap in STEMM.

The gender gap in STEMM

I anchored my presentation, and the Q&A that followed, in data - it helps us stay honest and informative.

In 2022, only 39.6% of students admitted to Cambridge University for STEM subjects were women [1]. The most recent admission statistics show the overall science split remains close to 60% men / 40% women, with some disciplines far more imbalanced - computer science remains at 80% men / 20% women, and engineering and mathematics show similarly wide gaps [2]. Other disciplines are notably closer to parity, in natural sciences the split is around 55% men / 45% women [2]. This reinforces a point we discussed in the room: the challenge is not women’s ability to pursue STEMM fields - it is how opportunity, culture, and progression pathways are shaped within different disciplines and organisations.

These numbers shape the entire STEMM pipeline - who enters, who continues, who becomes visible as an expert, and who ultimately leads.

One of the key points I raised is that women still leave STEMM disproportionately early in their careers. I was later asked: why does this happen so fast? We discussed this openly, and the answers were very clear - and very familiar to many in the room.

Those first years often overlap with reproductive years, at exactly the same time as early-career professionals are expected to prove themselves, build visibility, and demonstrate commitment, often including long hours and lab load, and an unspoken expectation of constant availability. Even where organisations have supportive policies, the lived reality can still make early-career STEMM pathways feel unnecessarily rigid.

We discussed maternity leave and the return-to-work transition. Policies may exist, but the lived experience depends on culture and childcare opportunities. Re-entry can mean reduced visibility, lost project ownership, fewer stretch opportunities, and subtle assumptions about commitment. That is where retention risk increases sharply. We also talked about the practical reality that care responsibilities and the logistics of making life work are still not shared evenly, and the impact of this is reflected in career progression.

The sense of belonging also came through strongly in the discussion. Belonging is not a “nice extra”. It is a core condition for a sustainable and steady STEMM career. If someone consistently feels like an outsider in a technical environment, if their contributions are interrupted, overlooked, or not credited - the cumulative effect is real. Support and belonging have to be built intentionally into successful career progression, and that has to come from the environment. In this context, managers often shape the day-to-day reality: access to opportunities, feedback, visibility, flexibility, and whether bias is addressed in real time.

An important part of the discussion related to the role of male allies. Inclusion in STEMM is not a women’s issue. It is a society and community responsibility. Progress accelerates when those with influence actively sponsor talent, challenge bias, and open doors. At the same time, women need to speak up and share experiences, develop, and step into leadership - for themselves and for the next generations of brilliant scientists and engineers.

Our discussion went beyond the workplace. Equity in STEMM must be addressed at every level of interest and career development: from childhood curiosity and parental guidance, through school encouragement, subject choices, university admissions, apprenticeships and alternative pathways, and then into workplaces with the right training, leadership development, and support structures. Examples and expectations come from school, home, work, and the wider community.

What we do at CamAWiSE matters

In my presentation, I gave an overview of what CamAWiSE does in practice and how we are building solutions through our actions and team engagement.

Our mentoring programme has now run for seven cohorts, supporting over 200 participants; over 30% of these report career progression outcomes and programme reviews show over 90% satisfaction among participants. Our 2026 survey feedback shows strong demand for practical professional development, and that “lack of relevant experience” is a key barrier - often reflecting unequal access to opportunity rather than lack of ability.

Thank you, once more, to Abby and Wunmi, and the entire Bicycle Therapeutics team for creating space for a real and safe conversation enabling everyone to engage so thoughtfully. I also want to acknowledge the team at CamAWiSE. I felt extremely proud representing our work in this session with Bicycle Therapeutics. Events like this show how much work is still needed for true equity in STEMM. It was empowering to see the momentum our team at CamAWiSE is creating and how much we can achieve working collectively and leading from the front.

References

[1] Varsity (2024) — Investigating the gender divide in STEM (includes the 2022 Cambridge STEMM admissions figure). https://www.varsity.co.uk/science/27444

[2] University of Cambridge — Undergraduate Admissions Statistics: 2024 cycle (gender splits overall and by subject, including Natural Sciences). https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publications/ug_admissions_statistics_2024_cycle.pdf

[3] Delaney, J.M. & Devereux, P.J. (2022) — Gender Differences in STEM Persistence after Graduation (UK Quarterly Labour Force Survey analysis). https://docs.iza.org/dp15352.pdf