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STEM, also known as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics has essentially, throughout history, been a male-dominated field. According to the Global Gender Gap Report of 2023, women comprise of only a 29.2% of the STEM workforce, as opposed to the ideal 49.3% in other industries (Kumar). However, to understand the underlying reason to these numbers, it is vital to see how human rights and their exploitation play a role in the overall employment of women.
Right to Education
According to the research conducted (American Association of University Women),
"The myth of the math brain is one of the most self-destructive ideas in American education – research shows no innate cognitive biological differences between men and women in math.
Many girls lose confidence in math by third grade. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to say they are strong in math by 2nd grade, before any performance differences are evident.
A gendered math gap exists in elementary school — but it is really only evident among boys from higher-income and predominantly white areas performing significantly higher in math, even compared to girls attending those same schools.
Girls score higher than boys in math in lower-income, predominantly Black areas (representing around one-quarter of school districts), but their scores are still disproportionately low compared to scores for white boys in high-income areas."
Thus one of the root causes of the low numbers of women in STEM begin from childhood, where our systems themselves discourage female students from the field.
Right to Equality
Underrepresentation has, till date, managed to eclipse the presence and contribution of women in STEM.
Quoting AAUW,
"By the time students reach college, women are significantly underrepresented in STEM majors — for instance, only around 21% of engineering majors are women and only around 19% of computer and information science majors are women.
Nearly 80% of the health care workforce are women, but only about 21% of health executives and board members are women, and only about a third of doctors. And, women are more highly represented in lower-paying fields, such as home health workers, nurses and the lower-paying specialties such as pediatricians.
38% of women who major in computers work in computer fields, and only 24% of those who majored in engineering work in the engineering field."
(American Association of University Women)
Moreover, the limited inclusion of women in the workforce further leads to a greater bias in the output of the field.
For instance, with lesser women involved in the decision-making process for engineering, safety protocols are made without considering significant biological differences between men and women. Women have a 73% higher mortality rate in car crashes (Smith) because the Dummies used in safety tests only resemble men.
With lesser women employed at higher-position jobs in medicine, their inclusion in medical research is also seriously compromised. "In the areas of AIDS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, injuries, and stroke, more epidemiologic studies included men. In the areas of cancer and diabetes more studies included women. In epidemiologic studies on reproduction and sex hormones, the difference is pronounced." (Bartlett)
Lack of Economic Security
The gender pay gap remains highly prominent for STEM, where men in the same position as women can be paid up to $15,000 more. This is further amplified among women of colour, who can be paid up to $33,000 less. (American Association of University Women)
At entry-level positions itself, despite having the same credentials and qualifications, women are paid around $61,000 versus men who earn $65,000. Hence women are repeatedly discouraged from entering the field. In fact, 2% of the gender gap is attributed to confidence issues. (Binns)
The Solution
Here are a few solutions to this issue as outlined in the paper Solving the Equation (Corbett and Hill)
This is an expandable list. Click on the arrows to read more.
Give girls and women the skills and confidence to succeed in math and science.
Raise awareness that girls and women are as capable as boys.
Give girls equitable encouragement and educational opportunities.
Promote public awareness to parents about how they can encourage daughters as much as sons in math and science — supporting learning opportunities and positive messages about their abilities.
Teach girls, teachers and parents that math skills are learned and change over time — promoting a growth mindset that empowers girls to embrace challenges.
Emphasize strong and visible role models of women and women of color in math and science fields.
Improve STEM education and support for girls starting in early education and through K-12.
Work to attract, recruit and retain women into STEM majors and fields in colleges and universities.
Improve job hiring, retention and promotion pathways and intentionally inclusive cultures.
Thus, as we celebrate Women's History Month, let's pledge to #investinwomen across STEM; for a diverse yet inclusive future for us all.
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