The Under Representation: Why Women in Tech Matters
It is no new news that women are under represented in the STEM fields, especially women of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native). And if we speak about woman in leadership roles within these fields… let’s just say it is alarming. According to Catalyst, in 2017, women only accounted for 29% of those employed in STEM in the United States. Women of color employed in science and engineering accounted for a sad 11.5%; 6% being Asian, 2.5% African American, 2.3% Hispanic, and less than 1% American Indian/Alaska Native.
Many people look at these numbers and just think that’s the way it’s supposed to be and if women wanted these jobs they would study them in school and apply to them. But it’s just not that easy. The error in these numbers go way deeper than just applying. And even if we just applied for these jobs, we know men are more likely to be hired for these roles than women, because they are viewed as a “man’s role”. This is not to point fingers or upset the opposing gender. I am simply writing this article to shed some light on what is at stake by furthering this under representation, especially now as the world is becoming more and more reliant on technology.
Where It All Begins
Like I said earlier, roles in STEM are typically viewed as a “man’s role”. This view is engrained into our brains before we can even speak. As children, boys are given toys such as cars and legos and girls are given toys such as baby dolls and kitchen sets. If one gender tries to play with the opposing gender’s toys it is frowned upon and they are told this is not for them, if not by the parents, then by surrounding family members (I applaud parents who do not feed into this divide of gender roles!).
Women are brought up in life to be nurturers and men are told they must be providers. Boys have all these movies where they can see other men who are successful and have high paying careers that they can look up to, where girls are shown movies where the women are house wives, or are searching for love and while all of this is great and probably necessary to view, there should be a balance on both ends. Girls and boys should have role models and superheroes to look up to that represent them and both boys and girls should have movies that show them a healthy representation of love.
In my opinion, a simple step in the right direction would be to provide girls with toys that stimulate their brains at a young age, toys that will teach them to build something cool and fun that they can be proud of and excited about, and give girls more women superheroes to watch on tv. Also, parents please expose children to all options. You put your daughter in ballet, well, you can also take her to the science museum too. Do not choose your child’s future, your only job is to give them options to make their own decision.
Education
If changes are made in the early stages of childhood, girls would be a little more prepared when heading into college. There would probably be more women choosing to study something in STEM because they’ve had exposure to it previously and found something interesting they liked.
When I was a senior in high school and in the process of choosing what I wanted to study in college, or what I wanted to do in life in general, I was pretty lost. I didn’t really know what I wanted to do because I didn’t think I had enough exposure. I knew I wanted to help others, but how? I had no clue. So I went with psychology, because it seemed pretty interesting. Then I jumped around from major to major for numerous reasons that don’t matter, until I came across coding and took a coding bootcamp. I had no idea about the world of software engineering before this. I had heard about engineering in general and it seemed really scary, so I never explored further. Now looking back, if I knew then what I know now, I would have definitely majored in computer science.
I say all this to say we need exposure to these fields so that they don’t seem so daunting and we aren’t left having to chose unfulfilling careers or wasting financial aid or taking out loans studying fields that are not sparking joy.
Why Equal Representation Matters
STEM is shaping our future. If we do not have enough women to help mold the future of STEM, it will be biased to men. There needs to be diversity in all aspects, men and women, equal portions white, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American. Diversity ensures that the products that come of STEM are inclusive. Also, with the diverse set of minds on the team, it ensures a greater product can be made. When we have more women in STEM, we can also have more products that are better suited for our needs, such as mammography equipment, apps that will track our monthly cycle, the next application that will alert police when we are in danger, the list can go on. Anything that we possibly need or use should have at least half the team producing it female, because who better to understand the female anatomy than a female.
This issue is not something that can be fixed over night. It will take an army to see more equal representation in STEM, but it is definitely possibly and very much so important for our future. To see change, we need parents, employers, schools, everyone, doing their part to ensure equal exposure and fair opportunity is given. The future is counting on you.
