Pause and pondr
HOW DOES GENDER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION DRIVE INNOVATION?
Hiring more women in the sciences can benefit any team — here’s why.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2019, only 27% of STEM jobs were held by women.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Identify some of the strengths of educational programs that encourage women to enter into the STEM fields
Read the stories of young women who have benefited from STEM educational interventions
Recognize the need and long-term benefits of early STEM education
Why are there so few women in STEM?
In 1970, women made up 38% of all U.S. workers and 8% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math. By 2019, 48% of all workers are women, according to the U.S. Census. And while more women have joined the ranks in STEM fields over the past five decades, women comprise only 27% of STEM workers.
The Association of Women in Science (AWIS), a global network that advocates for gender equity and the advancement of women in science, studies the representation of women in the sciences, says that “women now earn more than half of all STEM degrees, a pinnacle and necessary credential for advancement in many STEM professions.” However, that representation does not translate into leadership in the sciences, according to a 2019 report by the organization.
“Despite evidence that diversity in leadership is good for innovation and for organizational financial outcomes in the public and private sector, AWIS research has shown that gender and racial disparities in leadership positions are still pervasive in STEM,” says the Transforming STEM Leadership Culture report. “Organizations continue to promote homogeneity among their leadership teams through cultures rife with bias and microaggressions that inhibit women’s advancement and prevent institutions from making full use of the leadership talent they already have, but often overlook.”
How does hiring more women enhance science?
A wide range of diversity within companies — from gender, race, ethnicity, age, geography and culture — is beneficial. No doubt this is a goal of many companies today, and more and more businesses are striving to commit to diversity, equity and inclusion.
What is one benefit? Innovation.
“Research has repeatedly demonstrated that diverse teams, especially in leadership, outperform homogenous teams in innovation, research quality, decision-making, and complex thinking and bolster their organization’s financial success,” according to the AWIS report.
What can change the tide?
Silicon Valley-based Nvidia, an accelerated computing platform company, has been designing everything from AI servers to supercomputers to autonomous machines. In recent years, Nvidia have strived to improve the numbers of their diversity hires and retain employees.
“Last year, we created the roles of head of diversity, inclusion and belonging, and a global diversity recruiting leader,” says Ivett Garcia, who is now Nvidia’s head of diversity, inclusion and belonging, in an email interview. “To achieve extraordinary breakthroughs, we need the best people who reflect different cultures, perspectives, genders, and experiences to drive creativity.”
And in hopes that students catch the science bug early in their academic careers, companies like Nvidia are also reaching out to underrepresented populations on college campuses and professional organizations and even rewriting job descriptions to be more inclusive and eliminate unintended bias.
Katy Korsmeyer, a lecturer in the biology department at Santa Clara University, has been passionate about mentoring women, students and teachers in STEM. She works with Teach Biotech, a program that pairs women scientists with science teachers to inspire middle school students. “I saw my use of science and knowledge and the fun that you can generate in inspiring the kids,” she says.
But science fields simply need a range of diverse voices, not just gender, Korsmeyer says. “Having a diversity of people and voices and opinions and thoughts and different pathways all contribute,” says Korsmeyer. “It’s more about not just women but everybody being included and being accessible to all because we’re just all individuals with unique paths and experiences.”
Pondr This
How interested in the sciences were you as a child?
Do you think your interest in STEM was fostered more, or less, because of your gender identity?
How do you think gender diversity within STEM benefits the sciences?
FOR LEADERS
What kinds of programming in the workplace allow your employees to imagine new pathways and opportunities for them?
How can you encourage your employees to seek out roles that may not previously have been available to them, based on race or ethnicity and/or gender?
How do you motivate your employees to continue their learning?
Explore The Stories
Science girls: A toolkit
First-generation college student reached for the stars
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Susan Lee is an assigning editor for iPondr. She was previously an editor for Marketplace, The Conversation US and The New York Times Licensing Group. In addition, she was a facilitator for the oral history project StoryCorps and a researcher on several book projects. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
Closing the representation gap in STEM communities
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Laura Hernández, a journalist and multi-platform producer, is passionate about creative and authentic storytelling. From radio and TV to documentary, branded content, and podcasting, she has gained solid experience working across formats. Originally from Colombia, she’s based in New York City. She is seasoned in the process of creating exciting narratives, scenes, and colorful characters, and really enjoys working with diverse groups of people. For more information. Visit www.laurahernandez.co
Taking STEM on the road in order to foster girls' interest
Topic in Review
For this Pause and Pondr, we looked at the underrepresentation of young girls and women in STEM.
Continue Your Journey
In a September 2021 Newsweek op-ed, two undergraduate students of color in STEM — Jomi Babatunde-Omoya and Fiona Harley — gave a firsthand account of the challenges of being women in a STEM classroom. “As we started taking higher-level science and math classes, we noticed we were some of the only girls in the room. None of the boys wanted to partner with us for projects. Our teachers and guest lecturers were predominantly male. We felt like we were constantly fighting to prove we were smart enough.”
Their advice to reach underrepresented kids in STEM: start early. The two students credited their experience during their internships as opportunities to realize they were capable of being in STEM fields. “Our planet faces a huge range of challenges that people with expertise in math and science can help solve, from curing disease to addressing climate change. To tackle problems of this scale, we need to empower all of America's youth. We can only fully thrive with diverse minds leading the way,” they added.
There are several organizations around the country that are trying to level the playing field and promote more women and underrepresented groups in STEM — among them are National Girls Collaborative Project, National Math and Science Initiative, Association for Women in Science, STEM for Her, Society of STEM Women of Color, and Million Women Mentors.