Rebecca Bennett (she/her)

A report from Australia’s Office of the Chief Scientist (2020) outlines that women are valuable to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), but are underrepresented, especially at the higher pay scales. In STEM professions, inequalities regarding a lack of women in leadership positions have been further complicated by the recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This phenomenon aligns with Australia’s national gender pay gap, which is currently at 13.4% (Australian Government, 2021). This presentation reports on insights from pilot interviews in a qualitative research study, which aims to understand women’s perceptions of and experiences with STEM leadership and gender (in) equity in the private sector of Western Australia. Attention will be drawn to the role of the pilot interviews in directing and refining both interview and research questions (Turner, 2010), thereby highlighting women’s narratives about opportunities and challenges in STEM professions. Key interest groups for dissemination of findings are educational stakeholders and decision-making leaders in the private and public sectors.