Women Achieve Gains In STEM Fields-focus On The US
As image building becomes a thing in the corporate sector, more and more businesses strive to weave gender equity and diversity into their organizational DNA.
Yet of the STEM bachelor’s degree recipients only 39% are women. Despite the acknowledgement of industry-wide biases towards women and minorities and efforts to mitigate the difference, this number shows that more work still has to be done.
We can see that organizations like The National Science Foundation (NSF) have introduced programs that not only track and evaluate gender disparities in STEM education and career outcomes they also propose solutions to alleviate them.
Initiatives by other organizations like ACTE (Association for Career and Technical Education) aim to solve what was thought to be a "pipeline problem." They strive to address pedagogical issues, especially in tech education, by lobbying and advocating to industry leaders to bridge the gap. They also provide resources, mentors, and guidance to young women, teachers and career counselors, thus aiming to increase the number of women in tech-related STEM education.
Even though more women are joining this field, the disparity is still prevalent. Women still make up a tiny percentage of those pursuing bachelor's degrees in engineering, computer science, and information sciences.
As we move into the workforce, these fields exhibit comparable numbers. In math and computer-related fields, women make up less than the third of the entire workforce. The percentage drops to a pitiful 15.9% in the engineering and architectural fields.
As we move into the workforce, these fields exhibit comparable numbers. In math and computer-related fields, women make up less than the third of the entire workforce. The percentage drops to a pitiful 15.9% in the engineering and architectural fields.
Even though women make up only 1/3rd of the STEM workforce, their presence in the industry has grown over the years. -There are many studies done that show that increasing gender diversity in the various STEM fields provides a diverse perspective and unique insights not typically seen in the past.
The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics reports that within the past 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of women working in STEM fields. “In an industry that seems so male dominated, hearing positive trends like this shows that access to the technology field is growing outside what was considered the norm,” stated President and CEO Reshma Moorthy.
Women in the United States comprised 35% of STEM employment in 2023. The survey also shows that, compared to prior years, women are now graduating in all disciplines related to the various scientific and engineering programs.
The percentage of women in STEM learning, especially in physical sciences, increased from 39% to 44% in 2022-23. Many believe that the COVID-19 pandemic increased women’s interest in physical sciences, technology and healthcare.
Women make more money than their non-STEM peers, even in full-time, year-round STEM employment. According to the Census Bureau reports, women made more money than men out of the seventy-one STEM careers.
Women's progress in achieving gains hasn't been steady, yet they are catching up. Gender discrimination is a significant factor that holds women back from achieving their goals. However, today, women constitute 75% of the healthcare occupation, 64% in social sciences, and 47% in math.
Despite the growing number of women in STEM education and careers, they still experience income disparity. In male-dominated STEM fields, such as engineering and technology, women are still underrepresented and make less money than males---as only 16% of them receive bachelor's degrees in relevant fields.
A Forbes article from 2022 stated that women's average income was 17% lower than men's. According to the study, women only make 82 cents for every dollar men earn.
According to the Pew Research Center, the gender pay gap worsens as people age. Women in the 25–34 age group made roughly 92% of what men in the same age group made in 2022, but women earned 83% in the 35–44 and 45–54 age groups. The percentage fell to 79% among people aged 55 to 64.
Even after women earn bachelor's degrees in comparable disciplines as males, there are persisting disparities in income. Based on the responses from most of the STEM workers, not just recent college grads, there is a more substantial disparity in the statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Furthermore, across all racial groupings, women in STEM fields are still making less money than men.
Investigating the reasons behind women's difficulties in shattering the glass ceiling is crucial, as is devising strategies to assist minorities and women in reaching far greater heights as professionals in the workplace.
The trend of funding female-owned startups and companies has to be accelerated; the data indicates that investment in women-led businesses has a high rate of return.
Women-led enterprises are not getting enough funding for several reasons. The gender gap is the one of the first leading causes; women are less likely to start businesses that attract outside investors with the expectation of rapid growth.
Another factor is the disparity in financial inclusion between genders, which makes it harder for women to get business loans. Personal savings and married couple assets are increasingly crucial to women-owned enterprises.
Moreover, women also do not invest into women-led businesses. The main reason behind this is that they are more risk averse. Therefore, they do not take such challenges compared to men.
-Studies have indicated that obtaining the necessary funds to launch new businesses is challenging for women since many are service-based (event planning, marketing, writing, etc.) and do not lend themselves to having multiple employees One known stumbling block for women in obtaining funding is that investors with a male-dominated financing team tend to black those who share a similar background which leaves money looking for other ways to gain investors. Ironically though, we do not witness such discrimination in crowdfunding platforms.
Moreover, proper education and mentoring are crucial in providing equal opportunities to women. Far too many women opt out of STEM courses at the college level due to a lack of role models and biases engrained in the engineering field's reputation as a 'man's field.
Challenging these stereotypes head-on and supporting women with the necessary resources can go a long way in empowering them with equal career opportunities.
With inconsistent outcomes, inclusion and diversity in STEM fields is still a work in progress. Even though the number of female students majoring in STEM has increased, women are still underrepresented.
While they dominate healthcare, there are still too few women in engineering and technology disciplines. With the given statistics, it can be said that women, when given the opportunity, can perform equally well even in male-dominated fields.
The idea is straightforward: A comprehensive strategy is necessary to break down barriers, challenge misconceptions, and promote equal chances in STEM. One major way is to create an environment that fosters growth and reduces the income disparity women usually experience in STEM fields.
Encouraging women to pursue STEM careers requires helping them land their first STEM jobs and ensuring their success. It will not only yield higher returns but will also lead to workplace diversity and inclusivity.
Moorthy concluded, “Every day I try to be a leader in the technology industry - whether it is posting different topics on LI which allows me to share my thoughts as a leader in this industry or attending various technology events across the country and globe.
“To make women in technology more common place, is for leaders like me to look for opportunities to mentor young women interested in pursuing this field and help them be confident in their pursuits.”