WOMEN IN S.T.E.M.
Women are vastly underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or “STEM”. Despite the number of women in the fields continuing to grow, men are still the majority and especially at the upper levels. Girls and boys are equally represented in math and science courses in grade school, with girls even earning higher grade point averages in these classes. However, women end up only earning about 20% of the bachelor’s degrees in these fields, despite obtaining more bachelor’s degrees than men overall.
There are numerous explanations that contribute to this phenomenon. First, girls’ and boys' interests in general are very much a reflection of their environment. As Jean Kilbourne has discussed on numerous occasions, the media plays a pivotal role in deciding the interests and body requirements for young girls and boys (Killing Us Softly). Another factor is your own beliefs about your potential, as is shown in the book “Mindset”. The belief that your abilities are earned and not solely hereditary is crucial in the success of the individual (Dweck).
Implicit bias exists in everyone, whether it is gender, race, sexual orientation, etc., and whether or not one chooses to believe so. Negative stereotypes about girls' and women’s abilities are imbedded in society, despite the obvious gains and contributions women have made in math and science fields. These beliefs that women hold that they are not meant to be in STEM majors or careers affect their performance, as shown in numerous studies assessing stereotype threats. Similarly, men seek careers and majors that require mathematical abilities, not because they perform better than women, but simply because they believe they do (Hill, Corbett and Rose).
Spatial skills are another contributing factor to the gap between men and women in the workforce. Boys consistently outperform girls in these types of tasks, despite the fact that these skills are not innate, but are learned and can be improved over time. This is largely due to gender-specific toys for young boys and girls. Products made for boys often require the use of spatial skills, such as building or constructing objects (White).
Finally, and what I believe is most important for my generation and for the future, is that colleges and universities lack proper recruitment for women in STEM fields, whether it is for students or faculty. The intent for first year students to major in science and engineering fields is 30% for males and only 15% for females.
Colleges and universities must be actively recruiting females, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These four areas of study should be largely emphasized in introductory courses. Additionally, departments need to continually assess their admissions policies to ensure there is no bias against potentially successful students. In regards to faculty members, STEM departments must set initiatives to provide “fit” for female workers. This should include mentoring by senior faculty to the potential junior faculty members. Many of these potential faculty members require accomodations for their family, so institutions should also support policies that emphasize work-life balance (Hill, Corbett and Rose).