Some Basics for You

Sex vs Gender:

"Sex" refers to the biological characteristics categorizing someone as either female or

male. Whereas "Gender" refers to the socially constructed ideas that exhibit traits and
characteristics of which a person is expected to possess by virtue of sex.

 Sex is the natural phenomena and cannot be altered

 Gender is social/cultural phenomena and can be altered

What is a gender stereotype?

The 'stereotype' is, "a fixed or general idea or image about person shared by many
people, which is often not true.

Examples of Gender Stereotypes

 Girls should play with dolls and boys should play with trucks.

 Boys should be directed to like blue and green; girls toward red and pink.

 Boys should not wear dresses or other clothes typically associated with "girl's clothes"

 Men are breadwinner and women are housewives, caregiver

Manifestations of Gender Stereotyping is often based on following basis:

1. Physical Appearance: Women are expected to be slim, cute and delicate. Meanwhile
men are supposed to be tall with broad shoulders.

According to Aristotle”, women have fewer teeth than men; and female is an

incomplete male”. Since Alfred Tennyson has gone to deeper extent:
Man with head and woman with heart:
Man to command and woman to obey;
All else is confusion. (The Prince)

2. Personality Traits: Women are supposed to be shy, passive and submissive.

However, men are brave, violent.
"Frailty, thy name is woman." (Shakespeare)

"A man will say what he knows; a woman says what will please." (Rousseau)

3. Domestic Behaviors: Women are supposed to cook and do housework. Since men
are expected adequate outdoor work.

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Major causes of causes of gender inequality:

 Uneven access to education.

 Lack of employment equality. ...
 Job segregation. ..
 Lack of legal protections. ...
 Lack of bodily autonomy. ...
 Poor medical care. ...
 Lack of religious freedom. ...
 Lack of political representation
 Domestic violence

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The Advocated Use of Role Models Reinforces Gender Stereotypes in STEM

(rather than help close gender gap)

(You take following stance…ok)

The advocated use of role models helps close gender gap and gender stereotypes
in STEM)

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Introduction
  Women are highly underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics) field professions
 The problem is well documented by research and there have been several efforts
to remedy this issue, yet men are still dominant forces in the STEM world
 As per AAUW (American Association of University Women), Women make up
only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. The
gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-
paid jobs of the future, like computer science and engineering.
 Men hold 76% of STEM jobs and women only hold 24% of STEM jobs
 Women’s professional participation is cut in half when looking at STEM fields
and is not representative of the overall employment of women. Thus, women are
largely entering fields that are not STEM related.
 Further, in both STEM and non-STEM jobs, there is a notable wage difference
between men and women. Focusing on STEM jobs as of 2009, there is a 14%
gender 2 wage gap, where women make $0.86 per hour for every dollar that a
man makes
 It means women are making less money than men for doing the same job with
the same number of qualifications.

Causes of Women distraction from STEM Career

a) Gender stereotypes:
 Historically, women have been stereotyped as being untalented at STEM
particularly mathematics. This starts early on in a women’s life, as girls are
gently pushed and pressured away from careers and interests in STEM fields.
These stereotypes are ingrained in society because they are promoted by the
media through toys, clothing, news reports, etc. Girls internalize these messages
from the media, and start to believe that women are not expected to be good at
math.
 Now these are the negative stereotypes on women’s abilities to perform well at
math and science, from educators and peers, and assumptions of employers.

 Stereotypes affect children starting at their homes. Parents’ beliefs about their
child’s math aptitude can greatly impact that child’s achievement. By middle
school, and carrying through high school, students’ parents tend to believe that
boys have greater math ability than girls

 The gender stereotypes revolved around the higher math abilities and motivation
of boys compared to girls. LIKE “Math is more important for boys,” “Boys do
better in math than girls,” and “In the future, math will be more useful for boys.”


b) Biological difference
 Many people believe that the gender gap in STEM fields can be due to biological
differences between men and women. In her book What’s math got to do with
it, Jo Boaler noted that on average men’s brains are larger than women’s This
could lead many to believe that men are thus innately smarter than women at
STEM

c) Lack of interest

 While some have suggested that women choose not to pursue careers in STEM
because of a low expectation of success and enjoyment hence they have poor
intrest. Sexism makes it difficult for women to pursue a career about which they
are interested.

d) Chilly Workforce Environment

 Women are more likely to leave their positions than men because of the chilly
climate they experience in the STEM workplace.
  Family issues, pregnancy matter, responsibilities are other major issue that
hinder interest of women to pursue career in STEM. This creates gender gap
and salary difference and promotions that almost go in favour of men.

e) Illiteracy, poverty, and violence in third world countries

 Illiteracy, poverty and socio-political violence in developing countries are
barriers for women to pursue education.
 These nations are hit by continuous conflicts, war, and domestic violence

How gender gap in STEM fields can be reduced?

 Advocated use of role models

 Role models should include STEM female professionals, scientists, and
engineers and peer groups. For example Margret Hamilton (Computer scientsit).
Annie Easley (Mathematician), Pamela Melroy and Janaki Ammal (astronut)s,
Katherine Johnson (NASA Space), etc
 Celebrities also major role who help fight for women’s passion in STEM. For
example, new finding from Europe-wide study of girls and young women show
that there is clear link between role models and increased passion for science
subjects. For example, Emma Watson, Lisa Kudrow, Ally Walker are STEM
representatives have been inspiring young girls to the STEM fields.
 Launch of inspirational Initiative like IGF (Inspiring Girls Foundation), DigiGilz,
CoderDojo, and Czechitas, which runs workshops to encourage children to
pursue STEM intreset in STEM.

 These role models should ensure the use the media to change the ideas held by
society about women in STEM

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Conclusion

 Women are highly underrepresented in STEM field professions.

  Many would credit this to biological differences between men and women, like
brain size and functions
 However, there is more evidence that societal factors are to blame. Some of
these factors include stereotypes, media messages, and the chilly workplace
environment that discourage women to opt STEM choices.

 It is clear that we need more women in STEM professions, but in order to make
this happen, we need to determine what factors impact their participation.
 This analyzes the way the media, stereotype threat, education, and the work
environment impact women in STEM,

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