{"id":1143,"date":"2021-04-13T11:38:09","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T17:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canopyadvisory.com\/?p=1143"},"modified":"2023-11-07T22:38:35","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T05:38:35","slug":"this-is-whats-really-driving-the-gender-gap-in-stem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canopyadvisory.com\/this-is-whats-really-driving-the-gender-gap-in-stem\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is What\u2019s Really Driving the Gender Gap in STEM"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gender Inequity In STEM: Why Does It Exist?<\/h2>\n

Question:<\/h2>\n

What\u2019s the biggest obstacle for women in STEM today?<\/p>\n

Answer:<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ll tell you what the biggest obstacle is not: confidence. Despite the catchy refrain that says women in STEM are less confident than men, we can\u2019t point our fingers at the \u201cconfidence gap\u201d to explain what\u2019s really <\/i>holding women in STEM back.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the \u201cconfidence gap\u201d is a product of our culture. And our culture tells us that girls and women aren\u2019t fit for math, science, and engineering. If this explanation sounds too soft, take a look at the data.<\/p>\n

Culture (not Confidence) Explains The Gender STEM Gap<\/h2>\n

In their pre-teen years, boys and girls have similar levels of confidence in their ability to forge a career in STEM. But as they grow into adolescence, stratification<\/a> in STEM confidence occurs along gender lines: boys become more confident in their ability to succeed in STEM, whereas girls become less confident in their ability to succeed in STEM.<\/p>\n

Why does this divergence appear as children grow older?<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t blame test scores. Despite their reported lack of confidence in STEM, girls outperform<\/i><\/a> boys in STEM: 68% of 16-year-old girls vs. 65% of 16-year-old boys score highly in math and science exams.<\/p>\n

What <\/b>actually<\/i><\/b> explains the divergence in STEM confidence is gendered cultural norms. The signals we take in from our culture (e.g. Hollywood, the media, children\u2019s toys) play a large role in deciding who is fit for a career in STEM.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

These cultural norms tell girls they aren\u2019t cut out for STEM, which in turn feeds a baseless narrative that girls and women should be less confident than boys and men in STEM.<\/p>\n

But culture only tells the pre-labor-force story. What happens after women break the cultural barrier and enter the STEM labor force? Now that\u2019s another story.<\/p>\n

What Happens After Women Enter The STEM Labor Force<\/h2>\n

The Center for Talent Innovation found that 80%<\/a> of US women working in science, engineering, and technology love their jobs. Eventually, however, 52% of highly talented women working in these fields leave their jobs, churning twice as fast<\/a> as men.<\/p>\n

Here are the <\/b>top reasons<\/b><\/a> why women leave their STEM careers:<\/b><\/p>\n