The workforce benefits from diversity, and STEM fields are no exception. Historically, women have been underrepresented for a variety of reasons. The blame has been laid on everything from the desire to drop out of the workforce to raise children, to a lack of interest, to a lack of aptitude. Newer research shows that this isn't the case—while some women may certainly prefer a better work-life balance to a STEM career, there's a number of gender stereotypes that are driving women away. Fortunately, there are a number of groups looking to change that.
It's not possible to attribute a lack of gender diversity to a single cause. One argument points to it being a matter of getting female students interested in pursuing STEM careers. Another claims that women are opting out in favor of fields that offer a better work-life balance, which would allow them to have an easier time raising families. In the past, biological differences took the blame. New research shows that this isn't the case—the fault lies chiefly with social causes, and lots of them. Even when women enter STEM fields, retention can be a problem.
There are several gender stereotypes that can make STEM fields more difficult for women, chief among them the perception of women as less authoritative or competent than men. For example, in an interview to gauge gender bias in STEM fields, two thirds of the women interviewed reported having to prove their competence more often than their male counterparts. They also reported losing out on opportunities for advancement after having children. Some pointed to isolation as a problem—minority employees are less likely to be asked to take part in activities, and may feel that socializing with their co-workers risks eroding their professional authority. Lastly, they identified a gender “tightrope”—the idea that they had to adopt more masculine behaviors to be seen as competent, while also performing traditionally feminine behaviors in order to not be viewed as aggressive or off-putting.
Balancing STEM gender demographics isn't an easy problem to solve. There are a lot of aspects—from getting girls interested in math and science, to changing the way women are viewed as employees—that can't be fixed overnight. It requires a multi-pronged approach.
1. Women in STEM
WiSTEM is an international organization that seeks to increase female representation through a variety of initiatives that support female students from elementary school and beyond. They offer mentorship programs that pair female university students with high school girls, providing them with contact with relatable role models. They also provide networking opportunities with female STEM employees, to give girls a realistic look at what a STEM career entails. Through community outreach, they help ensure that underprivileged girls have equal opportunity to develop an interest in math and science.
2. National Math and Science Initiative
NMSI seeks to change the way math and science are taught in order to increase the numbers of all under-represented students. They work to improve the background of teachers, by providing resources to help them build more expertise in the subject matter, increasing the number of high school teachers with math and science degrees, and helping them lead diverse classrooms. Their college readiness program also helps provide more high school students with academically rigorous coursework, setting them up to succeed after graduation.
3. American Association of University Women
While getting female students interested in STEM and providing them with the tools they need to succeed is important, retaining female STEM employees is equally so. The AAUW conducts research to find the obstacles that get in the way of a diverse STEM workforce at every level—from schools to corporations. Their education and training initiative helps provide funding for educational and career development, student advocacy, and a legal advocacy fund. Their economic security initiative provides women with training in salary negotiations.
4. National Center for Women & Information Technology
This organization focuses on women in computing and technology-related fields. They work to increase female students' interest in computing and technology, as well as change the way companies try to recruit and retain female employees. Their initiatives provide toolkits for everything from elementary school teachers to CEOs and hiring managers, helping them to recognize the contributions of women to technical fields, promote systemic change, and more.
5. Mathematical Association of America
The MAA works to improve accessibility of math for students. They provide curriculum resources for teachers, professional development toolkits, and grants for the development of mathematical enrichment programs. This organization seeks to improve math education, public perception, and the number of female students enrolled in math degree programs.
Bringing more women into STEM fields isn't just a question of equality—it's good for math and science, too. Diverse backgrounds and perspectives promote more innovation, and that's difficult to get from a single-gender workforce. An investigation of 500 different companies also concluded that a diverse team of employees correlated with greater revenues, higher profits, and more customers. While it's going to take a lot of changes to achieve gender equality in STEM fields, these initiatives are leading the way in lifting up the next generation of intelligent, competent, scientifically-minded women.
