As the world prepares to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Europe’s metal, engineering and technology (MET) industries are putting the spotlight on the gender gap in European industries.
In a new position paper published this week, Ceemet, the European MET employers’, highlights steady improvements in workplace equality while warning that structural barriers, particularly in STEM education, continue to limit women’s participation in the sector.
The paper, “Gender Gap in the MET Industries,” frames gender equality not only as a matter of fairness, but also as a strategic economic priority for Europe’s competitiveness.
Progress in pay and working conditions
Drawing on recent European data, including findings from the Eurofound European Working Conditions Survey 2024, the paper notes that job quality across Europe has improved over the past decade, with greater access to flexible working hours and training opportunities.
Within the MET industries, the gender pay gap has narrowed significantly, from 21 percent in 2010 to 16 percent in 2023. This points to the downward trend as evidence of long-term progress.
However, Ceemet cautions that pay gap figures mentioned in the paper do not necessarily measure equal pay for equal work. Instead, they reflect structural factors such as occupational distribution, seniority, working time patterns and career breaks.
Working hours data show a similar trend. The gap between men and women in weekly hours worked has narrowed, though women still work fewer hours on average, often linked to caregiving responsibilities.
The part-time trap and childcare gap
Ceemet argues that one of the biggest obstacles to full labour market participation is inadequate access to affordable, high-quality childcare. Across the EU, women remain more likely to take on household and caregiving duties, pushing many into part-time work and limiting career progression.
The paper calls on Member States to fully implement EU recommendations on early childhood education and long-term care. Improved care infrastructure would help women work the same hours as men, reduce career interruptions and ease labour shortages in key industrial sectors.
According to estimates from the European Institute for Gender Equality, women’s employment rates in the EU could rise from 66 percent today to 80 percent by 2050 if significant progress in gender equality is achieved, delivering substantial economic gains in the process.
Stagnation in representation
Despite various industry-led initiatives, the proportion of women in the MET sector has remained largely stagnant in recent years, reaching up to 24.4 percent in 2024. For Ceemet, this underrepresentation underscores a deeper issue. Too few women are entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pathways in the first place.
Although women represent 52 percent of the EU population and the majority of higher education graduates, they account for only two in five scientists and engineers, and just 18 percent of ICT specialists.
STEM strategy is a top priority
The position paper strongly welcomes the European Commission’s renewed focus on STEM in its competitiveness agenda and budgetary planning, including its ambition to attract one million female students to STEM programmes by 2030.
Ceemet is calling for:
- A strengthened European STEM strategy with a specific focus on women
- Better data collection through a future European Skills Observatory to monitor STEM labour shortages and workforce trends
- EU-backed cross-border partnerships between schools, universities, training providers and industry
- Stronger involvement of social partners in designing and implementing national STEM strategies
Europe needs to make its STEM strategy a reality now: skills shortages and the green and digital transitions make female participation in industrial careers more urgent than ever.
Industry initiatives underway
Across Europe, sectoral federations are already introducing initiatives to attract and retain women in the MET sector.
In France, UIMM’s “You have your place” campaign showcases female role models in industry. In the Netherlands, FME’s “Women in Technology – On Track to 30% by 2030” programme includes a Women4Tech label and inclusion awards. In Sweden, Teknikföretagen’s digital outreach campaign “Rent tekniskt” has successfully engaged young female audiences through social media platforms.
Ceemet also underlines its commitment, as a social partner, to combat workplace harassment and promote inclusive working environments, two other important factors which will encourage women to engage more in the job market.
A societal challenge beyond companies
While acknowledging companies’ responsibility, the paper stresses that the gender gap is ultimately a societal issue rooted in educational choices and cultural stereotypes.
Reducing the gender gap would have a positive impact on both employment and GDP, as well as on women’s confidence to move forward in a society where they find a role that matches their skills.
As International Women’s Day approaches, the message from Europe’s largest industrial sector is clear: progress is real, but not fast enough. Achieving genuine gender parity in the MET industries will require coordinated action, from classrooms to company boards, and from national capitals to Brussels.