What actually works to encourage girls in science?

By Mia Mathew

It all starts when a little girl is given a doll while a little boy is given a toolbox, and they are told to only stick with those paths. Gender based discrimination in the workplace is still a pressing issue today, especially in the male dominated STEM fields. However, gender expectations happen much further back than the workforce, they start in the minds of young children. It has been a common stereotype that girls are somehow less adapted to the STEM field than boys are, and so girls are encouraged to pursue humanities instead. This expectation that people set for young children sets the stage for present day barriers fostering encouragement for women to pursue scientific fields. Gendered toys or the unconscious behavior from parents or mentors that push against girls pursuing STEM fields are all factors that play into how women make up only 27% of the global STEM workforce, according to the Society of Women Engineers.

According to the Forbes article, “Gender Bias in STEM May Start in Kindergarten", studies found that even young children mostly lean towards the mindset that only men are interested in pursuing fields like computer science or engineering. They also lean towards a perception that girls are less capable in succeeding in STEM fields than boys are. These negative mindsets are very harmful in the inadequate representation of women in STEM fields, and cementing a negative narrative from such an early age can have detrimental effects on girl’s interest and participation in fields of science. The lack of representation of women in STEM fields in the media, such as popular shows where girls are often depicted as superficial or even “dumb”, also continues the harmful understanding of young girls’ that they do not belong in STEM fields.

However, gender representation in STEM fields can be a double edged sword. There is a common stereotype that if a woman pursues STEM, they should abandon “feminine” hobbies or interests such as makeup or dressing up. In order to be professionally recognized, it is a misconception that women have to conform to a male centric view. This goes from everything to changing the way one dresses or even acts. This is not just about being taken seriously, it even has layers about workplace harassment or objectification of women’s looks. According to this article by the LabBench, women are often judged for speaking out against this discrimination and viewed as vain or superficial for not conforming to male standards. Women in science should not have to deal with this everyday sexism. Young girls should be able to see women scientists in the media who do both science research and makeup or do both science research and boxing, or do science and whatever they want because it is their choice. The only way to change these norms is to challenge them.

Despite existing barriers, there is a clear path that society must take in order to right these wrongs. In order to encourage girls to pursue scientific fields, there has to be equal representation of women succeeding in science, taking an interest in these careers, and being role models for young girls. There should be a push for young girls to take interest in STEM from an early age through programs and competitions that are easily accessible to them. And finally, there should be more women in the popular children’s media that show young girls the wonders of taking an interest in STEM. The best way to promote engagement in the scientific field is to kill negative mindsets and barriers at an early age. Young girls should be brought up with the confidence that they can succeed in any field they want to with hard work and dedication. Barbie said it best, and it is about time that we listen to her - “You can be anything”.