The Underrepresentation of Women in STEM Fields
Introduction
Women in STEM are continuously being underrepresented in the United States. This issue has caused women to suffer in the workplace, created a more disengaged generation of girls, and impacted scientific innovation. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math, jobs in the STEM field have increased but women’s role in them has not. According to the National Science Board in 2013, women consisted of 29% of the STEM workforce, compared to the overall workforce in which they made up 49% ( “Diversity in the workforce contributes to creativity, productivity, and innovation. Women’s experiences—along with men’s experiences—should inform and guide the direction of engineering …show more content…
Richard Nixon’s speech to the Nation on Labor Day exemplifies what work means to american culture. “Central to that character is the competitive spirit. That is the inner drive that for two centuries has made the American workingman unique in the world, that has enabled him to make this land the citadel of individual freedom and of opportunity. The competitive spirit goes by many names. Most simply and directly, it is called the work ethic.” The value put into work ethic however is only seen with men and not women. A 2013 pew research center poll found that 51% of americans believe that it is better for women to stay at home while 76% of americans believe men are better off at work. This ideology and gap has affected women throughout history, with the Rosie the Riveter campaign, and more specifically the change in the gender stereotype of coding and technology …show more content…
A gallup survey in 2014 found that companies that had more diversity had a 46% increase in revenue and a 58% percent increase in net profit (Gallup). Experts explain that when the workplace is a more diverse environment it creates a more engaging place increasing productivity. The gap has also affected scientific innovation, because of the lack of women in these companies. In medical research male scientists would look at the research through a male lens, to the point where in most medical research centers they would only use male test animals. Women used to be wrongly diagnosed in the emergency room and died of heart attacks because doctors had no idea that women could have different symptoms to cardiovascular disease. Women have also suffered more side effects with drugs than men, because clinical trials have been targeted at men rather than women (National Geography). Opponents to hiring more women into STEM fields claim that forcing companies to hire more women will only increase the amount of less qualified women but this is not the case
Introduction
Women in STEM are continuously being underrepresented in the United States. This issue has caused women to suffer in the workplace, created a more disengaged generation of girls, and impacted scientific innovation. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math, jobs in the STEM field have increased but women’s role in them has not. According to the National Science Board in 2013, women consisted of 29% of the STEM workforce, compared to the overall workforce in which they made up 49% ( “Diversity in the workforce contributes to creativity, productivity, and innovation. Women’s experiences—along with men’s experiences—should inform and guide the direction of engineering …show more content…
Richard Nixon’s speech to the Nation on Labor Day exemplifies what work means to american culture. “Central to that character is the competitive spirit. That is the inner drive that for two centuries has made the American workingman unique in the world, that has enabled him to make this land the citadel of individual freedom and of opportunity. The competitive spirit goes by many names. Most simply and directly, it is called the work ethic.” The value put into work ethic however is only seen with men and not women. A 2013 pew research center poll found that 51% of americans believe that it is better for women to stay at home while 76% of americans believe men are better off at work. This ideology and gap has affected women throughout history, with the Rosie the Riveter campaign, and more specifically the change in the gender stereotype of coding and technology …show more content…
A gallup survey in 2014 found that companies that had more diversity had a 46% increase in revenue and a 58% percent increase in net profit (Gallup). Experts explain that when the workplace is a more diverse environment it creates a more engaging place increasing productivity. The gap has also affected scientific innovation, because of the lack of women in these companies. In medical research male scientists would look at the research through a male lens, to the point where in most medical research centers they would only use male test animals. Women used to be wrongly diagnosed in the emergency room and died of heart attacks because doctors had no idea that women could have different symptoms to cardiovascular disease. Women have also suffered more side effects with drugs than men, because clinical trials have been targeted at men rather than women (National Geography). Opponents to hiring more women into STEM fields claim that forcing companies to hire more women will only increase the amount of less qualified women but this is not the case