by Kaitlyn Chow
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are important fields of study, yet many individuals have recognized the gender equity and stereotypes associated with STEM.
Current Stereotypes & Discrepancies
Currently, women only make up 28% of the STEM workforce, with more than half of the individuals in the field being men. To emphasize this disparity, women only consisted of 15.7% of engineers and architects, 25.8% of computer and mathematical occupations, 42.5% of chemists and materials scientists, and 47.7% of biological scientists as of 2019. Overall, the number of women in science and engineering fields is increasing each year, “yet men continue to outnumber women, especially at the upper levels of these professions.” Less than 30% of individuals in the STEM field are women.
Other than having less recognition in the population of STEM individuals, women in STEM occupations usually have lesser earnings compared to men of the same occupations. In a study done in 2008, women received approximately 87% of men’s annual salaries, revealing the wage gap between men and women in various STEM occupations. For instance, the median annual earnings for men for mechanical engineers was $76,133 while the median annual earnings for women for the same occupation was $66,009; the median earnings for women in this example is only 87% of the median earnings for men.
Moreover, research suggests that predisposed stereotypes pertaining to what women are capable of in STEM compared to what men are capable of actually affect certain women’s drives toward pursuing a career in STEM. One study revealed that even movies limit the competence of women in STEM, as only 12% of characters with science-related careers in movies are portrayed by women. Although the portrayal of women in movies may seem like a minor factor, such representations play a role in gender stereotypes in STEM.
Initiatives
In the past several years, many individuals have started initiatives aiming to spread awareness about gender equality and stereotypes in STEM, along with making changes in such circumstances. Several initiatives include Girls Who Code, WiTech, and the Scientista Foundation.
Girls Who Code is an initiative whose mission is to close the gender gap in technology; their mission also includes diversity, equity, and inclusion. This organization essentially reaches out to girls around the world and teaches girls how to code. On top of that, Girls Who Code is currently working with state legislatures around the United States to close the gender gap in K-12 computer science classrooms. Through their efforts, they have reached 500 million individuals worldwide—and they can thank their online resources, campaigns, books, and advocacy work.
Furthermore, WiTech is another organization that aims to close the gender gap in STEM. It was founded in 2016 by a high school sophomore in the Philippines. WiTech aims “to educate, inspire, and empower the youth to break gender stereotypes and make a difference using technology." WiTech Manila, the main chapter, has held multiple conferences, along with other events with notable guest speakers and workshops. As of right now, there are more than 15 chapters around the world, and each chapter has done outstanding efforts. Not to mention, there is currently a WiTech New Jersey chapter available to all high school and college students in New Jersey; more information can be found on their Instagram page (@witech.nj).
Additionally, “the Scientista Foundation is a national organization that empowers pre-professional women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through content, communities, and conferences." Scientista aims to connect women of all backgrounds through STEM at campuses all around the world. Since Scientista was founded by two Harvard students in 2011, more than twenty campuses have been established, and partnerships have been made with companies including Microsoft, NASA, the Huffington Post, and the Association of Women in Science.
Sources
The stem GAP: Women and girls in science, technology, engineering and Math – AAUW : Empowering women since 1881. (2020, October 05). Retrieved March, 2021, from https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/the-stem-gap/
Hill, C., Ph.D., Corbett, C., & Rose, A. S., Ed.D. (2010, February). Why so Few? Retrieved 2021, from https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2020/03/why-so-few-research.pdf
R. (2014, February 27). Women in stem: The pay gap. Retrieved March, 2021, from https://sites.psu.edu/rachelrcl/2014/02/27/women-in-stem-the-pay-gap/
Wood, J. (2020, February 11). How many women work in stem? Retrieved March, 2021, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/stem-gender-inequality-researchers-bias/
About us. (2020, August 25). Retrieved March, 2021, from https://girlswhocode.com/about-us
Mission & vision. (2021, January 11). Retrieved March, 2021, from https://wi-tech.org/about/mv/
About. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2021, from http://www.scientistafoundation.com/about-us.html