Gender Gap in STEM

• Women are less likely to participate in the larger fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) due to their lack of access to technology and digital tools (STEM).
• In order to close the gender gap in the fields of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—the United Nations has emphasised the importance of inclusive technology and digital education.

Highlight

• STEM fields, which stand for science, technology, engineering, and math, continue to be dominated by men.
• Women's underrepresentation in STEM disciplines presents a significant concern given their ubiquitous influence in contemporary life.
• Recently, International Women's Day 2023 (IWD) was commemorated under the subject "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality".

STEM stands for what?

• Scientists at the American National Science Foundation first used the abbreviation in 2001. (NSF).
• According to the NSF, science and math-related skills will be necessary for 80% of the occupations that are produced in the upcoming ten years.
• STEM is a curriculum-based concept that aims to educate students in 4 distinct areas using an applied, interdisciplinary approach.
• India is One of the nations with the highest production rates of scientists and engineers.

Why Is Gender Equity Important in STEM?

• Lost chances for women: STEM fields provide high-paying employment as well as chances for innovation and promotion. Women lose out on these opportunities when they are excluded from these fields.
• Economic impact: The demand for STEM talents in the world economy is rising. Women's underrepresentation in various sectors can stifle innovation and economic growth.
• Social justice: Patterns of Inequity in Society as a whole are perpetuated by gender inequality in STEM fields. It might make it harder for women to fulfill their potential and fully contribute to society.
• Women in STEM professions can serve as role models and sources of inspiration for other girls and women who may be considering a career in these subjects.
• Women have been noticeably underrepresented in the professional world of STEM fields, such as the IT industry, environment and climate, medical sciences, etc.
• profitable for Employees - According to Pew Research Centre, the average STEM worker makes two-thirds more than those who work in other professions.
• Pay Gap - As a result, the gender pay gap is also impacted by the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields.
• Typically, women are underrepresented in higher-paying occupations like those in STEM sectors and overrepresented in ones that pay less.

Data and Fact

• In higher education around the world, 18% of girls are pursuing STEM degrees compared to 35% of guys.
• There is a gender gap even within the STEM fields, with about equal percentages of boys and girls choosing to pursue the natural sciences while much more boys select to pursue engineering, manufacturing, and construction.
• According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 20 percent of the males and 41 percent of the women in underdeveloped nations lack literacy.
• When compared to their male counterparts, girls studying in engineering programmes in India at a much lower rate.
• from the data of All India Survey of Higher Education for the period of 2020–2021, there were 36,86,291 students enrolled in UG, PG, and PhD engineering programmes overall, with the 71 percent of them being male and the rest is the female.
• Women outnumbered men in the STEM fields, with a 53 percent female enrollment rate, and there have been recent rises in this proportion. Nevertheless, due to a number of reasons, these increases may not guarantee that employment will rise as well.

Causes of the Gender Gap

• Discrimination in the workplace: Women still experience the same kind of prejudice in the workplace as they do in society.
• When a scientist should start: When women typically get married or have children is also when scientists are at the height of their careers. Their career is delayed as a result. Even a six-month delay in scientific research, especially experimental work, suggests that your work is neglected and that your career will suffer.
• Absence of STEM Institutions: There are no established STEM institutions or colleges in the neighbourhood.
• Absence of female role models in STEM fields has a cascading effect on girls.
• Social views: Despite the availability of resources like mentors and programmes granting scholarships, cultural attitudes towards women's education generally discourage families from making the same investments in it as they do for boys.

Actions required to guarantee gender equality in STEM

• Encourage women and girls to pursue STEM education by ensuring that they have equal access to high-quality STEM education at all levels and by exposing them to STEM fields and vocations from a young age.
• To combat gender stereotypes, educators and employers can seek to foster an inclusive atmosphere that promotes and supports the participation of women in STEM professions.
• Address bias and discrimination: Companies can do this by eliminating it from hiring and promotion processes and by fostering inclusive workplace cultures that promote the progress of women.
• Provide role models and mentoring: Women in STEM can act as mentors and role models for the subsequent generation of female STEM professionals, encouraging and supporting them.
• Advocate for policy change: Politicians can enact legislation that support gender equality in STEM, such as financing for initiatives that support women's participation in STEM disciplines, family-friendly workplace rules, and equal pay laws.

Government Step

• The Vigyan Jyoti Program promotes female students in grades 9 through 12 to study and work in the field of science and technology, especially in fields where women are underrepresented.
• National Prize for Women in Science: A special honour known as the "National Award for Woman Scientist" is given to one woman scientist each year on Foundation Day in order to highlight the contributions made by women scientists in the field of Earth System Sciences.

The Department of Science and Technology's Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) pilot project promotes gender parity in science and technology. 30 academic and research institutions have been chosen by DST for the first phase of GATI, with an emphasis on the representation of women in leadership positions, faculty, and the number of female students and researcher