Women's History: Gains reported in STEM fields, but not enough

Above: A revised image of the iconic Rosie the Riveter  became the symbol
of women's empowerment and economic growth.

By Mona Austin




In reflection on Women's History Month, women in the American workforce have come a mighty long way baby! Women have literally gone to the moon and back, but unfortunately, research indicates in the field of technology women have not gone far enough on planet Earth!

Technology fields continue to be male dominated. An article in The Atlantic addresses the disparity between men and women in the tech sector and says the lack of women in technology is problematic. (Read the article by clicking here.) I agree. Copious data supports the fact that women are the economic drivers in America and their purchasing power along with usage of social media (with the exception of LinkedIn), mobile devices, e-readers and GPS for example, is stronger than men.  It would behoove companies to have women as decision makers or at the very least to employ more women for their perspective on product creation. It only makes sense. Yet, the tech sector as a whole is limiting the positive impact the ingenuity of women can have on their work culture and bottom line.

Fact: There will be more technology in our future.  

Question: Will there be more women in the future of technology?

Before I re-entered the workforce technology had evolved so much it was a no brainer that I would need to enhance my knowledge of it.   I returned to college at the turn of the millennium to take two "Continuing Education" courses that were to "guarantee" my gainful admittance back into the workforce after being a full-time stay-at-home mom: "Web Development" (for which a degree was not offered at the time) and "Managing the Writing Project." 

Knowing how to build Web sites meant I would be highly employable as "the World Wide Web" was then a fairly new invention. Being a team player, a good communicator and having project management skills would also be valuable attributes as companies became more team focused, which is the foundation the writing class I took provided. I thought I'd prepared adequately in acquiring marketable skills, but for over a year I applied for jobs requiring those exact skills and was only hired through a temporary agency. Thinking technology was the way to a secure future too, a female family member earned a bachelors degree in Information Technology several years later and did not  get a job in her field either. The employment opportunities came at a much slower pace that I'd anticipated.

A woman repairs an engine in 1915 during WWI.

However, the time and money I'd invested in those  courses was not a complete waste. Eventually, I started my own business and found customers who needed their Web sites designed on my own. My relative also found IT work after a lengthy search. While being "women in technology" did not work as either of us hoped, I am sure attaining higher education and being tech saavy made a difference in self-employment.
 
Unfortunately, over a decade later, new reports reveal slow progress and women's declining interest in pursuing careers in technology.

This report is perplexing in this day and time. A century ago, American women filled a void in employment during war time at factories where men who went to fight for the country left an opening.

By 1944 only 1.7 million unmarried men between the ages of 20 and 34 worked in the defense industry, while 4.1 million unmarried women between those ages did so. (Source: Embattled Dreams: California in War and Peace, 1940–1950.) 

Why is it that 100 years later women's interest in technology is waning? A combination of cultural Perhaps non-traditional jobs are not at as appealing because seeing women in such roles is not a norm in society or perhaps there is an issue in hiring decisions, which  may be what my relative and I encountered. If the lack of women in technology is to change grossly,  companies must hire women and they will come. Interest in technology driven fields will increase when women entering college directly from high school see more women working in male dominated fields.

Research by Hyde supports that idea. In a January article in Psychological Bulletin (Vol. 136, No. 1), she and her colleagues found that the more gender equity a country had — measured by school enrollment, women’s share of research jobs and women’s parliamentary representation — the smaller its math gender gap.

“When girls see opportunities for themselves in science, technology, engineering and math, they’re more likely to take higher math in high school and more likely to pursue those careers,” says Hyde.

The White House has released some compelling stats this month regarding access to higher education and women working in STEM programs that supports the need for more women to get involved in not only technology centered professions, but also in math, engineering and science.


"In 1970 the number of women Bachelor's degrees in science, math engineering  or technology related degrees was below 20%.  By 2010 the number rose to approx. 35%.  This is critical, because women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields make, on average, 33 percent more than women in non-STEM fields, and the gender pay gap is smaller in those occupations.  To continue expanding economic opportunities for women and girls there are key investments that support higher education access for women and girls including:

• Creating the $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC).  Over 9.4 million Americans are able use the AOTC to help finance their post-secondary education each year.

• Increasing the maximum Pell grant award by $1,000.  President Obama pushed to increase the maximum Pell grant award, which will rise to $5,730 in school year 2014-15. Over 5.8 million women receive Pell grants or another federal scholarship, compared to over 3.5 million men.

• Keeping student loan interest rates low.  The President has also fought to ensure that student loan interest rates stay low to provide borrowers with income-based repayment options that will help the 580,309 women at community colleges accessing loans to pay for college (more than double the number since 2007-08).  38 percent of women take out federal loans, compared to 31 percent of men."

These efforts have helped increase the number of women pursuing a college degree.  Enrollments of women in 4 year schools are up over 20 percent since 2000, and enrollments in community colleges are up by 50 percent.

The trends in higher education directly inform the contributions women make in the US workforce, but we can do more.  Our technology dependent world demands that women continue to  break barriers in these under-served areas of employment, shatter stereotypes and partake of the education that will lead us into the future.

With this knowledge, let us salute working women and continue to fight for equal pay for equal work. Women can do any job they set their minds to and have a greater chance for a secure future with higher education.

Research by Hyde supports that idea. In a January article in Psychological Bulletin (Vol. 136, No. 1), she and her colleagues found that the more gender equity a country had — measured by school enrollment, women’s share of research jobs and women’s parliamentary representation — the smaller its math gender gap.

“When girls see opportunities for themselves in science, technology, engineering and math, they’re more likely to take higher math in high school and more likely to pursue those careers,” says Hyde.

Originally published on 3/25/14