Women face underrepresentation in STEM due to social stereotypes and discrimination from groups all around them, including family, university faculty, peers, and potential employers, according to new research from NU Graduate School of Education (NU GSE).
Professor Kuzhabekova says: “Women’s participation in STEM is critically important for any country’s economic competitiveness and social equity agenda. Social stereotypes about women in society seem to play the most influential role in underrepresentation. These cultural stereotypes and expectations are transferred through the family, university faculty, peers, and potential employers and manifest in girls’ beliefs about themselves and their sense of belonging in STEM.”
Discrimination and gendered attitudes still exist in education and work and should be addressed when implementing policies to improve gender equality in STEM. Universities need to be proactive in combatting stereotypes and faculty members should be encouraged to maintain high expectations for all students, regardless of gender, and promote positive learning environments for all.
