By YKA Staff:
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, women increasingly outnumber men in college graduation rates, yet they make up only a quarter of the tech industry workforce. The reason for women for not taking up Science, Technology, Engineering and Management (STEM) subjects in college are many, of which social discrimination is one of the major reasons. The STEM fields have predominantly been a male sphere, and pervasive misconceptions that women have a ‘natural’ leaning towards the liberal arts and disinclination towards math and science, dissuades parents from encouraging them to challenge societal norms and pursue a career in these fields. The fact that these fields are a ‘boys club‘ makes it even more difficult for women to pursue professions in these traditionally ‘male-dominated’ fields.
There has been some positive change, and studies reveal that women teaching college-level computer science or engineering has actually increased since 2005. But the number of women as full-time computer science professors has barely moved since 2004- increasing by just three percentage points. Hostile workplaces, a sexist sphere where professions like programming is considered ‘brogramming’ where women don’t fit in, is still a reality. Women are as capable as men in studying science and these male-dominated spaces need to be reclaimed
Monistaf
According to your own info graphic, on an average, 30% of the employees in the companies you chose to profile are female, but you call it a “Boys only club”? The very fact that there are so many women, proves that the system is open to anyone with the skills and resolve to make it into the tech industry. What exactly is the preferred percentage? 50/50? Or, if you have it your way, 100% female? When will we accept that just because we have equality of opportunity, it never has, nor ever will, translate to equality of outcome. This is true because outcome is more a function of personal preferences, priorities, personality, relevant education and experience. Is it unrealistic that the demographic in every profession or industry be a perfect representation of social demographics? And why only women? Approximately 20% of the Indian population is muslim, why are we not complaining that there are not enough muslims in the tech industry? How about Hispanics and Blacks in the America? How come no one is fighting for them to be equally represented? Why only target the tech industry? How about defense, nursing, construction, auto, power, oil and others? It is impractical to try and force the outcome. All we can do is to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to pursue what ever career they want, which I think, is already in place and you give proof that more and more women are in fact pursuing careers in tech. So, there is enough and sometimes more opportunities for women, thanks to existing reservations in both industry and educational institutions.
Spider-Man
This fact is, women CHOOSE easier courses in college such as nursing, arts and humanities, and then whine competing with men who toil hard for years in science, engineering, and medicine streams.