Why so few? Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Hill et al. 2010)

•  
  • This publication summarized the obstacles facing girls and women who wish to pursue academic or professional careers in STEM fields and highlighted solutions to these challenges at the secondary, postsecondary, and professional levels.
  • The authors presented scholars’ investigations into issues surrounding sex differences in interest, retention, or careers in STEM, drawing on both interviews with the profiled scholars and their published studies.
  • The paper concluded that bias and stereotypes, whether implicit or explicit, hindered girls’ development in STEM. According to the paper, promoting the idea that intelligence is not fixed and innate but can expand through hard work, dubbed the growth mindset, combats the notion that boys are inherently better at math and science than girls and encourages girls to persevere.
  • Further, women in academic and industry STEM positions continued to suffer from bias and stereotypes, which can manifest themselves through unsupportive atmospheres or distorted perceptions of female employees’ competence. Clear standards for advancement can counteract some of these tendencies.

Note: This page has been updated to comply with Executive Order 14168.