Gender gap in STEM
Sixth grade was the first time I was introduced to STEM.
I entered a classroom with fluorescent lighting and large machines with saws attached to them, intimidating me a bit. Our instructor gave us our first task which was to simply cut a piece of wood in half using the saw.
Standing in the middle of the line I watched as my classmates worked. The boys seemed familiar with the machinery, excitedly propelling their fingers near the blade. But, the girls were more timid to complete the exercise, distancing themselves from the loud equipment.
According to this report conducted by Ypulse research group, between the ages of 8 to 14, girls’ confidence levels are shown to decrease by 30 percent. Which is typically when the education system decides to introduce STEM to their students.
Therefore, girls are set-up for failure in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields as early as 4th grade.
In 2023, as stated by this gender gap study, 28% of the STEM workforce was occupied by women. Creating several issues that disway girls from pursuing a job in the field.
A lack of representation of women in STEM makes it tough for young girls to find role-models to look up to. Instead they perceive that this field is more masculine, setting up stereotypes that span field-wide.
On top of the overwhelming testosterone that powers STEM, there is an obvious work-life balance issue for females with careers.
Oftentimes one parent has to take time off of work to raise their newborn, and in a heterosexual relationship, it is usually the women. However, according to this article on Healthline, only 12 percent of women in the private sector have access to paid maternity leave.
Plus, the overbearing amount of time and commitment it takes to excel in STEM is enough to scare anyone away.
Luckily, for those who are committed to breaching the gender gap, there are some solutions; simply introducing STEM in curriculums at an earlier level of education can inspire young girls to pursue a career.
However, some organizations are taking it a step further.
The Challenger Learning Center of Maine has a unique event, titled Maine Girls of STEM, to provide young girls with the opportunity to explore STEM in an unbiased setting.
According to their website, this event “will take a gender-specific approach to activities. This means that the program will focus on girls and considers the biases that might impact their experience in STEM.”
The participants travel to two different locations, completing activities and uncovering their love for STEM. The CLC is teamed up with Maine Maritime Academy, creating chances for the young girls to see real female STEM majors in action.
This program is not only giving girls time to explore possibilities in the field, but it’s also knocking down the walls of stereotyping and underrepresentation of females in STEM. It’s handing those potential problem-solvers role-models and a true look into the future.
Overall, it’s hard being a little girl with aspirations in the first place. When your world is surrounded with underlying sexist-ideations in media, government and just about everything, it’s easy to lose confidence. Especially in grade school.
Sadly, women aren’t the only demographic to struggle in STEM.
Jason Garver, a high school physics teacher from Minnesota, worded it perfectly in his meaningful STEM gender bias study.
“The barriers women face are just one narrow, incomplete slice of the discrimination people face in STEM,” he stated. “That leaves out people of color and members of the LGBTQIA community.”
The nation is thirsting for social progress in STEM.
The solution?
Instilling confidence in young girls by taking a long hard look at how the system has failed them.
