Women in STEM: Bridging the gender gap

This problem is global – and through our discussions we learned the stories and experiences with the STEM gender gap varied based on the participant’s home country. Below are the experiences of students from the US, UK, Brazil, Italy, and Greece. We note that the majority of our participants came from Computer Science backgrounds so the discussions largely centered on Maths and Computer Science education.

Primary school maths as an obstacle

A surprising element of how bias is systemically and societally perpetuated in women is the anxious relationship that women teachers have with mathematics. They also expect more from female students than male students, holding them to higher standards and often placing additional pressure on them to perform well.

Such a high expectation can create a stressful learning environment for female students, potentially affecting their confidence and interest in pursuing further studies in STEM fields.

More support is needed for women teachers so that they can counteract their own maths anxiety and mitigate the impact on younger generations. We cannot forget that maths is central to STEM disciplines so the problems of biased perception and anxiety that perpetuate in school extend to all STEM subjects later.

The troublesome STEM environment

We discussed how the education-to-career pipeline often fails to encourage and retain women in STEM. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) – a non-profit organisation that promotes gender equity in education, career, and research – reports that the gender gap is systemic.

In the US, women “make up only 34 percent” of the STEM workforce “and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college”. Alarmingly, computer science and engineering, two of the fastest growing industries with high paying jobs, have particularly high gender gaps according to AAUW. Disparities between men and women are deeply embedded within these fields' structures, policies, and cultural norms.

In the UK, data shows that women represent only 30 percent of the STEM workforce, with some fields, such as computer sciences (23 percent) and engineering and technology (21 percent), where the data are even more alarming. The causes are traced back to cultural and environmental factors; in fact, the problem has been reported historically with the passing of decades.

Women have fewer role models to provide representation and support in the field, due to societal and historical biases. For example, the large presence of men in STEM does not result in an inclusive culture for women, and according to the experience of some women participants, this makes them renounce before applying for scholarships or grants or aspiring for senior roles. Women often feel like they have to work at least twice as hard as their male counterparts to get that role, promotion, or raise.

Further, data reveal that women are subjected to a greater frequency of harassment in STEM. Unfortunately, the very people who create the STEM cultures – those in the majority: men – might be unaware of these toxic cultures or feel little pressure to change them. Better male awareness of gender inequity and allyship is needed to create inclusive environments for women in STEM; otherwise, progress in developing more uplifting and supportive inclusive cultures will stagnate.

The “me too” movement in academia

In 2016, Jane Willenbring submitted a complaint to Boston University’s Title IX office about geologist Professor David Marchant’s behavior while they were on a field expedition in Antarctica in 1999 and 2000. In November 2017, Boston University found that Marchant had sexually harassed Willenbring, but it was not until April 2019 that Marchant’s contract was officially terminated. The power structures of academia make it incredibly difficult to fire a tenured professor.

Given the power imbalance between students and professors, we wager that Willenbring likely waited to speak up because she had more power as an influential woman in academia than she did as a student. Further, professors hold significant power over young researchers’ careers and speaking up earlier could have impacted her career trajectory.

Willenbring is now an Associate Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Stanford University. By sharing her story, she helped pave the way for future women to work in safer environments. We need more support for young women in academia and stronger accountability mechanisms to punish behavior from academics, even those who are leaders in their fields.

Who’s in the club?

From our dialogue it is increasingly clear that the challenges women face in developing their STEM careers are linked to the perpetuation of societal privileges that men benefit from and often want to maintain. These privileges come with power in deciding who can join the ‘club’ or not.

Some participants pointed out, it is no coincidence that our language and patriarchal society associates the female figure with roles of less social prestige. For example, despite women being overrepresented in the education profession up to middle school or GCSE, they are underrepresented in senior education and leadership roles such as school heads. At the same time, university professors are associated with male figures.

Steps toward equity

Even though many complexities and challenges emerged during the dialogue, we believe there are several reasons why there is hope for women who pursue a career in STEM.

First, there is growing awareness about the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. This awareness, coupled with advocacy from both within and outside of academia, are pushing for greater inclusion and support.

Second, governments and institutions are more sensitive to implementing policies aimed at reducing gender disparities; they are aware that from an optics perspective inequity is not beneficial for their brand and that teams and businesses do better when women have more power and representation. The visibility of successful women in STEM roles is increasing. Role models serve as powerful examples for young women and girls, showing that it is possible to succeed in these fields.

Men can and should play a huge and positive role in promoting change. The first step would be to educate themselves and others on this topic to foster a more informed and supportive community. Education on these issues is often lacking in academia, particularly in STEM.

Also, men in leadership positions can promote gender equity by pushing for policies that enhance equitable hiring practices, transparent promotion criteria, and support for work-life balance in academia and outside it.

Moreover, precisely because the problem is cultural and is reinforced in academia, where women are a minority, we believe men should always actively challenge gender bias and discrimination when they encounter it. This includes speaking out against inappropriate comments, unequal treatment, and harassment.

While the challenges that women face in STEM are deeply rooted and multifaceted, spanning societal, educational, and institutional biases, the path forward illuminates some promising ways that may bring a more inclusive future.

Events like Women in STEMM Season and NMES Dialogues on Identity and Privilege at King’s College London highlight not only the barriers that still exist but also the collective will to overcome them.