THe Problem
Girls and women are systematically tracked away from science and math throughout their education.
Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. The gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future, like computer science and engineering. (www.aauw.org)
Learn more here: https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2020/03/why-so-few-research.pdf
Key factors perpetuating gender STEM gaps:
- Gender Stereotypes: STEM fields are often viewed as masculine, and teachers and parents often underestimate girls’ math abilities starting as early as preschool.
- Male-Dominated Cultures: Because fewer women study and work in STEM, these fields tend to perpetuate inflexible, exclusionary, male-dominated cultures that are not supportive of or attractive to women and minorities.
- Fewer Role Models: girls have fewer role models to inspire their interest in these fields, seeing limited examples of female scientists and engineers in books, mediaand popular culture. There are even fewer Black women role models in math and science.
- Math Anxiety: Teachers, who are predominantly women, often have math anxiety they pass onto girls, and they often grade girls harder for the same work, and assume girls need to work harder to achieve the same level as boys. (https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/the-stem-gap/)
