Girls Discouraged From Science Careers

Despite enjoying science in school, a third of girls feel they "aren't clever enough" to take the subject forward as a career.

A YouGov poll shows that boys are 5 times more likely to want to become engineers,.

17% of girls say they aren't sure what they can do with a science qualification, while 13% believe companies who employ scientists would rather take on men.

There is also a lack of visible role models for girls interested in science - Brian Cox, Stephen Hawking and Einstein were among the most popular names brought up in the survey.

Doctor Mhairi Stewart is from the school of chemistry at St Andrews University.

Her background is in molecular biology:

Helen Wollaston, Director of WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) said: "We have to show how STEM relates to things which they care about, give them a chance to meet women close to their own age who love what they do to spark their interest and enthusiasm and then support them to make the first step towards a career in science, technology, engineering or maths."