Despite some positive changes, a gender gap in STEM persists around the world. This gap begins in education, fueled by gender stereotypes and expectations regarding “women’s work.”1 Systems of bias that push women and people of color out of STEM careers can also influence the products and services created by STEM organizations, such as artificial intelligence (AI).2 Organizational strategies to recruit, retain, and advance women in STEM occupations can help address these issues. Show
GLOBALMen Continue to Dominate the STEM Workforce Globally, Especially at the Highest LevelsWhen compared to other industries (including non-STEM), the representation of women among board directors in the information technology industry remains low but continues to increase, reaching 28% in 2021, up from 21% in 2020.3 Despite Improvements at the Board Level, the Technology Industry Still Lacks Women in Senior Leadership4Out of the CS Gender 3000 companies, women globally account for only 17% of managers in the information technology industry.5
Cultural Expectations and Stereotypes Can Affect Women’s Participation in STEMA UNESCO research review across eight Asian countries found a number of common sociocultural norms that can prevent women from pursuing STEM education or careers. These included:8
CANADAWomen in Canada Are Less Likely to Enter and More Likely to Leave STEM Fields9In 2019, women earned approximately one-third (36.4%) of all recipients of STEM postsecondary degrees in Canada.10 Among students earning bachelor’s degrees in 2019, women represented:11
In 2021, women accounted for less than a quarter (23.5%) of those working in natural and applied sciences and related occupations.12
EUROPEWomen in Europe Are Closing the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering14In 2021, women made up more than a third (40.7%) of scientists and engineers in the EU-27, a slight increase from 38.7% in 2011.15
And Europe’s gender gap in STEM is especially wide in information and communication technologies in higher education as well: Women’s Share of Bachelor’s Degrees in STEM Fields, 202017
Similar gaps exist among UK undergraduates. Despite making up over half of all undergraduates (56.8%) as well as 52.8% of undergraduates in all science fields in 2020-21, women are only 18.6% of students enrolled in engineering and technology and only 17.7% of students studying computing.18 Despite increases over the past decade, as of 2021 women still make up only 16.5% of engineers in the UK.19
Women Make Up a Small Share of Scientists and Engineers21Despite accounting for around half of the employed US workforce, women in the United States made up only a third (34%) of those employed in STEM occupations in 2019.22
Few science and engineering employees in the United States were women of color (11.6%) in 2019, including:25
The share of STEM degrees is also small for women of color in the United States. In 2019–2020, women of color earned a small percentage (15.1%) of bachelor’s degrees across all STEM fields, including:26
Women Working in STEM Earn Less Than Men Across All Racial and Ethnic Groups27
ADDITIONAL RESOURCESNext Steps Ask Catalyst Express: STEM Catalyst Knowledge Burst: Retaining Women in STEM Catalyst (Supporter Exclusive) Resources for organizations AnitaB.org Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology WISE Campaign (UK) Research Quick Take: Women in Energy – Gas, Mining, and Oil Catalyst Quick Take: Women in Healthcare Catalyst The STEM gap: Women and girls in science, technology, engineering and math American Association of University Women (AAUW) The Changing Career Trajectories of New Parents in STEM PNAS Sponsorship of Women Drives Innovation and Improves Organizational Performance Accenture DEFINITION: “STEM” refers to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. There is no standard definition of a STEM occupation. For the purposes of this Quick Take, STEM incorporates professional and technical support occupations in the areas of life and physical sciences, computer science and mathematics, and engineering. Less agreement has been made on the inclusion of educators, healthcare professionals, and social scientists in STEM; therefore, these occupations are not covered here.29 How to cite this product: Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): Quick take. Catalyst (2022).
Which of the following is true of studies examining the heritability of masculine and feminine traits?Which of the following is TRUE of studies examining the heritability of masculine and feminine traits? Around 52-80% of the population variance in feminine and masculine traits is explained by social and environmental factors.
Which of the following are true with regard to gender and aggression?Which of the following are true with regard to gender and aggression? Gender differences may be affected by the context of aggression. Males tend to use more direct aggression. When female's employment in primarily male occupations increase, the self-reported gender difference in masculinity/femininity.
Which of the following is the best example of a status legitimizing beliefs?Which of the following is the best example of a status legitimizing belief? Women are low in agency but high in warmth. Which of the following has been shown to contribute to the attributional ambiguity of discrimination?
Which of the following explanations of the origins of gender stereotypes is most consistent?Which of the following explanations of the origins of gender stereotypes is most consistent with evolutionary psychology? People associate men with assertiveness because such traits facilitated man's likelihood of reproducing.
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