The numbers say it all: on average, women are more educated than men globally, and now participate more fully in professional and technical occupations than they did 10 years ago. Consistent with the increased representation of women among STEM degree recipients, women’s representation in the STEM workforce has also improved significantly in recent decades. However they are still underrepresented in many STEM professions and their chances to rise to positions of leadership are only 28% of those of men.
At a glance we can spot two basic problems: girls and women tend not to study some STEM subjects such as computer sciences, physics and engineering. When they do, there seems to be a glass ceiling presenting them from accessing senior roles. Data from the world economic forum show that the chances of women rising to positions of leadership are only 28% of those of men.
Persisting gender segregation across study fields is the result of a mix of social, cultural, economic and educational institutional factors. The literature highlights the role of gender socialization of boys and girls to explain their uneven distribution across study fields. Family and especially parents play a key role as they often bring up their children to conform to traditional gender roles, while the education system, teachers and peers, tend to reinforce these stereotypes, giving support to gendered choices with regard to studies and career prospects.
To help address gender unbalance in STEM careers, the Hypatia project makes available a selection of resources that can be shared and adapted.
Resources: