In India, 43% of women graduate with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), which is a lot more than in the U.S. (34%), Canada (31%), and many other countries. But only 14% of Indian women with STEM degrees work in places that do research and development, which is why women's progress in STEMM is slower. Women in science and engineering have come a long way. They used to be denied authorship, leadership positions, memberships in academic societies, and entry into labs just because of their gender. They also had to deal with a lot of bias.
Even though women have a hard time getting ahead in their careers, a lot has changed and is changing all the time, and we're still hopeful that a lot more will change in the future. It's important to remember that these things shouldn't stop you from moving forward. Even in this case, the old saying "where there's a will, there's a way" is true. Society needs to change the way it thinks, but once a woman decides to do something, no one can stop her.
What is STEM Education?
Through STEM education, people can learn to solve problems better. According to the U.S. Department of Education, STEM is important because it helps students prepare for jobs in the 21st century. What are STEM subjects, though? How are STEM and STEAM different from each other? STEM is an acronym for science, math, technology, and engineering. This field also includes computer science. The arts are a part of STEAM to show that there are new and creative ways to solve problems.
Students can learn how to think critically through the liberal arts. This will help them understand how technology affects their lives. So, engineers who have studied art often have a better idea of how their designs will work. When doing research, scientists who have studied the liberal arts may also be better able to think about social issues and ethics. STEAM education, which focuses on learning from different fields through projects, can help teach young people how to be innovators. A STEM/STEAM education can help prepare students for high-paying jobs in growing fields.
All about Women in Science and Engineering
"Women in the workforce have started to move forward without looking back. This is because people's and society's views are slowly changing, and more and more job opportunities are opening. Now, women can choose between academic (research or teaching) and other jobs (science communication, journalism, administration, patent law, technology transfer, sales, marketing, consulting, etc.). There are many options and chances, and the number keeps growing.
All about Women in Science and Engineering
The Equality Equation: Advancing Women and Girls in STEM, a World Bank publication, compares STEM education for men and women. India's data outperforms many others. For example, 43% of STEM graduates in India are women, but that number is only 34% in the U.S., 31% in Canada, and 38% in the U.K. But there is still a leaky pipeline between the number of women who study science and the number of women who work in science, even though it is getting better over time," Abhishek Goel, who helped start CACTUS and is now its CEO, says.
There have been many government plans and programs to encourage more women in science and engineering. Good things include open forums, discussions, policy changes, and changes in the way people think. Today, many women are doing great work and making huge contributions to the growth of science both nationally and internationally. The team of women space scientists who worked very hard to make the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Mangalyaan mission successful is a great example of this change.
Challenges faced by Women in STEM Careers
Even though we can see the involvement of women in science and engineering, there are still a lot of problems to solve. To really solve these problems, society as a whole and key players must act right away and make changes. 2020 says that women feel like they don't belong as much as men do. They also get less respect and authority and have to work harder to reach the same levels of success.
Still, there is a lot of bullying and harassment in the hallways of schools. Women also have a big problem with not being paid as much as men. Universities and colleges worldwide must look at their pay policies and make the necessary changes to reach much-needed parity. Parenting is hard and can get in the way of a woman's career. A report in the journal Nature says that after having their first child, more than 40% of women in the United States who work full-time in science leave the field or go part-time.
On the other hand, only 23% of new dads quit their jobs or cut back their hours. This is scary and shows that society and government must change a lot. Systems need to be set up to help women get through this hard time without worrying about losing their jobs or dropping out. Many women have shown this in the past, and it's still true today when women are making progress in all fields, taking on key leadership roles, and making huge contributions to society.
Future of Women in STEM
Between 2021 and 2031, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says, STEM fields will have more jobs than non-STEM fields. In this women in STEM essay, we are reminding companies that they need to find, promote, and help more women in science and engineering who want to close the leadership gap. Companies that don't give women in STEM fields clear ways to grow and move up risk losing talented people. Coaching is a proven way for women to improve their leadership skills and move up in their careers.
This women in STEM essay wants to tell you that leadership coaching for women in science and engineering, especially one-on-one leadership coaching, can help women prepare for roles as future leaders. By adding personalized leadership coaching to your talent strategy for women, you can help them build and grow the leadership skills they need to lead themselves, lead others, and lead for change in today's unpredictable, change-prone work and market environments.
Conclusion
Even though the participation of women in science and engineering as individuals is necessary, these fields as a whole can also benefit from becoming more welcoming. Science works best when it takes into account many different points of view. When scientific fields don't let women in, they miss out on many smart and talented future scientists and new ideas that could be used to solve old problems.
Research has shown that workplaces with many different types of people are happier and more productive. STEM organizations would be better off if they were more open to everyone. We thank you for staying till the end, and we hope that this article has helped you.
