The Gender Gap industrialized

The Gender Gap in Industry

Maintaining the Gender Gap:

The gender gap only benefits one subset of people. These people are not women or minorities or any other marginalized group, but typically white men. The gender gap operates under the assumption that men and women are not equal, and any change to that gap could be a threat to the group who benefits from it. Closing the gap reduces the straight and simple pathway men inherently receive, which they could view as threatening to their success. For example, women were not granted the right to vote until 1920, when the 19th amendment was passed. The inherent right to vote for men, specifically white men, never had to be discussed or fought for; it was just granted. Allowing women to have a voice and a vote was seen as unnecessary out of fear it would influence the patriarchal platform that men stand on or doubt intellectual capability. Most men do not recognize that including women in shared spaces does not take away from their own but shares and builds more opportunities for success. Maintaining the gender gap is an effortless choice, as it coincides nicely with the patriarchal society we currently operate under and will not cause any “new” problems. The gender gap has existed for centuries, and while women have complained and fought against it, the system has not been dismantled. It requires work and influential change for integration to happen, and there is minimal momentum or support from the opposite gender, making it that much harder to accomplish. The gap is still real and present. It is now just harder for the men to ignore.

From the Classroom to the Workforce

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) education and opportunities are not equally accessible to all students As stated by Bridget Long, the Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education,

“Only 20 percent of high school graduates are prepared for college-level coursework in STEM majors… fewer than half of high schools in the United States even offer computer science classes. So that begs the question — are kids going to be ready to meet the evolving and growing landscape of STEM professions?... Native American, Black, and Latinx students are the least likely to attend schools that teach computer science, as are students from rural areas, and [those with] economically disadvantaged backgrounds” (Correspondent).

STEM educational opportunities are scarce enough already, never mind when you consider how opportunities are dispersed based on income, race, ethnicity, or gender. This, in turn, affects the demographic distribution of people entering the STEM workforce. For example, women make up 47% of all employed adults today. Yet, women only represent 25% of computer workers, 46% of mathematical workers, 14% of engineers and architects, 47% of life scientists, 39% of physical scientists, and 75% of healthcare practitioners and technicians. These results are even more alarming when categorized by race and ethnicity. Less than 20% of the above professions are occupied by women who are Black or Hispanic (Funk and Parker). These percentages are alarmingly concerning, considering the STEM industry is projected to “grow by 8.0% percent by 2029, compared to 3.7% for all occupations (Ice and Zilberman). Women make up nearly 50% of the adult labor force, yet they are not equally represented in five out of the six STEM industry-based fields. The only area that makes up more than 50% of the workforce is healthcare practitioners and technicians. Women of color are the least represented in STEM industries. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the lack of women in STEM Bachelor degree programs representation is strikingly similar to the gender gap in the industry and is reflective of STEM undergraduate enrollment.

Leaks in the Pipeline: Where Are They?

In high school, the math courses you take are mostly determined by the school and your corresponding math grades over the years. Above average, on to calculus, but if you struggle or are average, on to another basic level math class. The initial lack of choice made by the student in which avenue they are going down can hinder the number of students who can go further into STEM. You take a Math Placement Exam in college, which puts you in a class corresponding to your ability. Usually, students start in Calculus I, which could be the first exposure to Calculus students have. In the article, Women 1.5 Times More Likely to Leave STEM Pipeline after Calculus Compared to Men: Lack of Mathematical Confidence a Potential Culprit, the authors do a deep dive into the connection between mathematical ability versus mathematical confidence. The difference between the two is important to highlight, as preconceived notions surrounding the intellectual capability of women can enter the argument. An interesting point comes at the beginning of the article, noting, “...our findings indicate that if women persisted in STEM at the same rate as men starting in Calculus I, the number of women entering the STEM workforce would increase by 75%”. (PLOS ONE, 2016).

Women acknowledging that they do not have enough of an understanding of the material to continue can stem from different things. Is it the environment they are taught in? Are they encouraged to participate and ask questions the same as their male colleagues? The small “aggressions” can dissuade someone from seeking the guidance they need. These gaps can also be caused by figures that women can relate to. Speaking from first-hand experience, when there is nobody that looks like you in a predominantly male environment, it is easier to succumb to societal pressure and stereotypes and not pursue STEM-related fields. Feminist is sometimes much easier to step back and not speak up out of fears of repercussions or becoming a potential target for jokes in the class. It has been found that most colleges and universities operate under a bottle-neck function in math classes, starting a large number of students in the same Calculus class (usually Calculus I) and having a “survival of the fittest” mindset and operating under the assumption that those who are smart enough will continue on to the sequential classes. This tactic of placing students in the same class with not the same baseline of knowledge or exposure reduces the number of students who continue through Calculus and eventually into STEM-related fields. This is one of the major leaks in the pipeline.

In a study done in 2011, it was found that when women are in a test taking environment and have a female instructor or role model present, they perform much better than when a male instructor is present. The precedent that a female role model sets in classroom settings become integral to the students’ success. The idea of stereotype threat can also play a role in the successful retention of women in STEM. Confirmation of the negative stereotypes that women already have to bear would presumably decrease the likelihood that they are encouraged to continue. If both a female and male student failed a calculus exam, there is an assumption that the woman failed because she is not intelligent or does not belong, while there isn’t an automatic assumption for why the man also failed the exam. The inherent stereotypes and assumptions made can deter a woman from actively disproving them and continuing along this path. Data supporting this claim can be seen below.

Closing the Gender Gap in Technology | Aakriti Agrawal | TEDxUNO

Note: "Closing the technology gender gap through courage and resilience. This talk covers Aakriti's experience teaching girls how to code over the weekends and the skills that young girls need to help close the gap - courage, representation and resilience. Aakriti Agrawal is 24-years-old and moved to the U.S. from Singapore and India in 2012 to study actuarial science at UNL. After graduating college, Aakriti taught herself how to code in numerous languages and began working as a data analyst and front end developer for a healthcare tech startup in Lincoln.

Over the weekends and in the evenings, Aakriti runs a nonprofit called Girls Code Lincoln where they work to close the gender gap by teaching middle school girls how to code. Along with this, Aakriti also volunteers with the local TEDxYouthLincoln conference, and serves on the board for Nebraska Transition College, an educational nonprofit for children with learning differences. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx" - TEDx Talks

Societal Progression:

Societal Trends in STEM Regarding Degrees Awarded and Enterance in the Field

NOTE: In Figure 1, Steady rise for Women in STEM but Gender Gap Remains, it highlights the large difference of degrees awarded to men rather than women in STEM in the last ~12 years. The number of degrees awarded to women has grown over the years, but the gap between men and women continues to grow. As seen in Figure 2, Percentage of Women in STEM Jobs, it can be seen that there was an increase in some aspects of STEM, but a large amount of these jobs are not occupied by women currently. For example, engineering does not have the female presence that healthcare does, and while both are in STEM, the representation levels differ.

Society has progressed in the decade surrounding the integration of women into STEM fields. Comparatively, from 2009 to 2016, there was around a 1.5% increase in degrees and certificates awarded to women. This upward trend is promising, but the gap is still so clearly visible. In 2016, men nearly doubled the number of certificates and degrees awarded, highlighting the large influx of men into STEM fields. Looking at this chart, the trendline for men grew faster than women, showcasing the inherent support and opportunities they receive to be able to be in these positions.

Looking into more recent data, the gap in the STEM field is still as present as ever. Comparing the number of each gender in classes like physical science, mathematics, computer science, and engineering/technology highlights where the gap occurs. The number of men in academic spaces completely dominates the number of women, being the majority in the above categories. While these numbers show the stark difference between men versus women, it also raises some questions. Why are women not as integrated into these spaces as men? What factors contribute to the success of women in STEM? Is it the lack of female role models in primary and secondary education? Is it the environments they are placed in before higher education? These questions contribute to the leaky pipeline of women in STEM.

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