Historian Gerda Lerner discovered that by 200 BCE, inconsistent gender treatment was already embedded into early societies, and most likely even in prehistoric times. These early beliefs have become the deplorable roots of what we know today as gender inequality. Gender inequality comes in countless expressions, one being unequal treatment or career opportunities, prominently exemplified in the STEM workforce. 

In a world where women only constitute 27% of the STEM field while being nearly half of the overall workforce, the underrepresentation is clear. Moreover, the few women who have careers in STEM face constant discrimination: their contributions are often ignored, and they experience isolation due to the lack of female peers, resulting in fewer women wanting to take careers in STEM. Although there has been a great deal of work done to lessen this gap, we are still a long way from achieving gender equality in STEM.

So why is this important? 

Bolstering the percentage of women in STEM has more significant implications than you would think. 

More women in the equation are pivotal to innovation as a majority of the world’s inventions were primarily designed by men for men, which is also why: 

• Women are more likely to have work-related injuries

• Only 5% of women have said that their protective equipment has fit them correctly

• Because safety test dummies represent the average male, women have a 47% higher risk of injury from car crashes

This implies that balancing the gender percentage in the STEM field will keep women globally safer as changes more inclusive towards females are implemented.   

Closing the gap would also boost the global economy, as proved in a study that simulated a scenario where women had an identical role to their male counterparts, finding that the global GMP (gross metropolitan product) would have the potential to increase by $28 trillion. 

Girls and STEM

The STEM gender gap begins early in education, bolstered by gender stereotypes and misogynistic suppositions. In fact, boys and girls don’t actually have any significant difference in their abilities in STEM, but rather their confidence in the subject. 

Further, Plan International’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program reveals how the beliefs and attitudes of children’s parents and early educators play a primary role in sculpting the child’s views. Gender divides form from as early as four years old, the crucial basis to why STEM to Flower educates the younger generations. 

By teaching children the importance of having more females in the workforce and disproving those gender-based stereotypes at a young age, we can lead our future women on the path to gender equality. With STEM to Flower, we can start tackling this issue in our community by helping young girls learn that STEM can be for anyone, regardless of gender.