The Swiss Tech Pipeline is Blocked: Stagnation and Potential Decline

Recent analyses, particularly those by Lisa Stähli, reveal a worrying trend in the Swiss high-tech sector: progress toward gender parity has stalled.

Five years of stagnation and an alarming decline

After years of promising, steady growth, the proportion of women in the high-tech industry has remained constant at around 20.5% over the last five years. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the latest figures for the third quarter of 2025 show a slight but significant decline to 20.26% (compared to 20.36% in the second quarter of 2025).

This development suggests that we are not just facing stagnation, but a possible reversal of progress—a critical setback for our goal of an innovative and equitable Switzerland.

The systemic causes of the problem

The causes of this narrowing of the pipeline are deeply rooted and date back years before the decision to choose a course of study or career. If we want to see change in ten years’ time, we need to take action today in kindergartens and elementary schools.

The reasons for the narrowing of the pipeline are systemic:

✅ Early stereotypes: studies show that children as young as six begin to associate STEM subjects more strongly with men.

✅ Limited early exposure: Many girls in Switzerland lack early, meaningful, and inclusive exposure to STEM activities (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), preventing them from developing an interest before their core preferences become established.

✅ Teacher confidence and resources: Teachers often feel underprepared or lack the specific inclusive resources and training needed to teach STEM subjects in a way that is inclusive of all genders.

✅ Influence of the parental home: Unintentional gender-specific prejudices regarding toys, learning activities, and parental encouragement can inadvertently reinforce traditional role models and limit a child’s perceived options..

By the time students reach the crucial stage of their professional careers, the pool of female talent has already shrunk considerably.

Introduction to the MINT KidZ Schule: Intervention at the source

Little Scientists tackles these causes head-on with the MINT KidZ Schule—our comprehensive, free, and freely accessible STEM platform designed specifically for teachers and educators.

MINT KidZ Schule focuses on early intervention and uses practical, inclusive tools:

🎥 Accessible content: Step-by-step instructional videos that make complex scientific concepts entertaining and understandable.

📘Teaching guides: Curricula and activities developed by teachers and tested in schools.

🧪 Hands-on learning: Challenges that use everyday, inexpensive materials to make science practical and accessible in any environment.

👩‍🏫 Professional development: Teacher training workshops focused on building confidence and implementing bias-conscious teaching practices.

Why MINT KidZ Schule is an important investment

MINT KidZ Schule is effective because it tackles the problem at its root: we reach children before gender stereotypes become entrenched, we empower educators with ready-to-use resources, and we involve families in the process. We also actively promote diversity by highlighting women in STEM professions in our content.

All resources are developed by experts, tested in classrooms, and translated for national distribution. To keep this platform 100% free and accessible to all teachers in Switzerland and abroad, we rely on the support of companies and individuals.

We invite Swiss companies and individuals to support MINT KidZ Schule.

Your contribution finances the core elements necessary to sustain this change:

• Development of new inclusive STEM content.
• Platform availability and technical updates.
• Translations into all Swiss languages.

Supporting MINT KidZ Schule is a concrete way to invest in a more innovative, diverse, and equitable Switzerland, starting with the potential of its youngest minds.

👉 Check out the MINT KidZ Schule and its resources: https://littlescientists.ch/vle/

👉 Support free STEM resources for schools and children: https://donate.raisenow.io/gdqdh?lng=de