Needless to say, women are in all sectors of work today. From working at a swanky multinational corporate office to working as a delivery partner to make ends meet, women are in every working sector. Women are a necessary asset but quite underutilized in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM). According to the Infocomm Media Development Authority, women's representation in STEM has been stagnant at 30% for more than two decades. Women in STEM have opportunities to opt for dynamic career possibilities. The demand for skilled women in STEM is quite obvious, so there are estimates that there will be a projected growth rate of 10.8% in the next decade.

Reasons for the importance of diversity in STEM:

Women in STEM have been in the big picture for quite some time now. It is a broad educational program that throws light on many industries & technologies that play a crucial role in our daily lives. The STEM sector is, to date, crucially biased in some parts of the world. According to the Pew Research Center, the STEM workforce is principally white. WOMEN in STEM are perpetually disregarded in these fields. Amongst the total workforce, only 25% of computer jobs & 15% of engineering jobs are occupied by women. These statistics reinstate stereotypes in the minds of the public. Let’s explore more reasons:

1.  Nurturing innovation & creativity: A team of people with different cultures and backgrounds who have different perspectives about the world. This diverse information & culture enables teams & companies to break conventional ways of working & develop new ones. Many cultures & life experiences translate to a wide range of information & cognitive diversity.

2. Creating inclusive & equitable environments: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) in STEM, or rather any other field for that matter, gives people of different identities an opportunity to participate & contribute their opinions. Everyone has something of value to bring to the table. It is the responsibility of society & the organizations that hold power to ensure equity in opportunity for everyone.

3. Sustainability strategy: The ESG agenda examines how a corporation guards itself to conduct business ethically. A company might disclose on their ESG reports in their diversity & structure boards of directors, which make decisions for the company. They might disclose other diversity initiatives like releasing workforce demographic metrics, providing anti-bias training to new hires, or offering community mentorship programs.  

Challenges Women Face in STEM

Despite notable achievements, women keep facing underrepresentation in STEM fields, which is a pressing issue. It has garnered significant attention in the global discourse on gender equality. Women in science, technology, engineering, & mathematics gain critical problem-solving skills that are priceless in the long run for entrepreneurship. By initiating equality in STEM fields, an organization not only empowers women to thrive professionally but also enhances diversity & innovation within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. But as we exist in a male-dominated society, limiting women's participation to not let them flourish is a deliberate move. Some more challenges faced by women are:

1. Common biases: These are everyday behaviors within organizations. Employees are judged within a snap of a second. These said judgments can be positive or negative depending on the initial impressions of the management & subordinates. These unconscious biases often relate to gender, age, caste, creed, religion, & other identity features. Emphasizing the fact that these are unconscious biases, these can be given a second chance.

2. Measuring productivity the wrong way: For women in STEM, the hours worked in a day is a challenge that has been prevailing for years. A work culture emerged that denoted “butts in seats” as a measure to calculate productivity. Work cultures have been more than gradual in moving to a more performance-based environment that prioritizes results & outcomes. 

3. Organization-specific racism: Often, in STEM organizations, there is perpetual discrimination in workplaces. Women in STEM have had experiences where intentional & discriminatory harassing behaviors by someone have been exercised to maintain superiority over them. This move is intentional to pull women down or not let them be in a dominant position.

Why We Need More Women in STEM?

1. Lack of diverse recruitment: When speaking in the context of women in STEM, there are prolonged gender biases. These gaps make it difficult for engineering companies to fulfill their aim of hiring diverse employees. Women are belittled in STEM education degrees & STEM training. It reduces the prospective talent pool for companies to select talented candidates. It also compels hiring managers to wonder when so few women engineers exist in the market, why do we need women engineers? This thinking also makes the women employees countless.  

2. Heightened innovation: As the globe continues to juggle between climate change, political unrest in some parts, & other critical issues, the equal participation and leadership of women and girls in STEM disciplines are more than ever. Shifting the focus to this disproportion will not only bolster technological growth & innovation but has become an economic necessity.

3. Calling off gender stereotypes: It is believed that we exist in a male-dominated industry. These outdated stereotypes see women as only household machines doing the home chores. Society has gone too far with such beliefs. Also, appointing women in STEM roles will be an example for the upcoming generation & young girls to be independent.  When young girls follow in their footsteps, it will create a positive cycle of representation & empowerment.

4. Removes pay gap bottleneck: STEM careers are believed to pay two-thirds more than non-STEM fields. Yet, many women in STEM careers are facing the issue of uneven salaries. Many women are not paid in uniformity than their male counterparts performing the same jobs. Men in STEM careers have higher salaries on average, around $15,000, than women. If the number of women in STEM were higher, they would be economically secure on an individual level. This would close the overall national pay gap, too.

Conclusion

Being a premium business magazine, we are the flagbearers of gender equality. Respect for each woman, especially in the workplace, is an unsaid ethic for us. In the context of women in STEM, when women enter the business scene, things get better. Encouraging young women to study STEM subjects & pursue science & engineering careers is one step towards a more diverse & equal workforce. Workplace initiatives designed to encourage & champion female STEM workers will help voice & raise awareness about women in the field.