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ACM CareerNews

Why Engineering, Science Gender Gap Persists

By PBS NewsHour
April 25, 2012
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As evidence continues to suggest that women are underrepresented in the computer science field, educators are attempting to address the reasons for the lack of women in the sciences and engineering. According to a recent report from the U.S. National Science Foundation, 41% of male college freshmen planned to major in science and engineering, compared to only 30% of females. More than twice as many men than women attend graduate school for computer science fields, and more than four times as many men are enrolled in engineering. At the professional level, only 5.5% of commercial patent holders are women. There are several possible explanations for this gender gap across academia and the professional sector, as well as possible long-term solutions.

As educators point out, the problems caused by the gender gap only become more compounded over time. Female students say they find the scarcity of women to be isolating; others cite subtle discrimination. As a result, they may find themselves relegated to very traditional roles or regularly find their technical abilities underrated. At a time when fields like software development are reporting strong job growth, women may be missing out on incredible job opportunities. These jobs are not always in Silicon Valley — they could be careers in computer science and medicine, computer science and the arts, or computer science and languages. Within the science and engineering fields, the exit rate for female engineers is much higher than in other scientific fields. Women are also having a harder time advancing compared to other fields, due to a lack of female mentors, subtle discrimination, and unsupportive work conditions. When women do excel in male-dominated jobs, they may be penalized for being too ambitious, too confident, and too assertive.

From PBS NewsHour
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