Communications of the ACM
Women of Color Nurture Minority Girls' Interest in STEM
Women still lag in representation in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, and minority women make up even fewer of those participating in these fields, according to a U.S. National Science Foundation study.
Credit: American Academy of Achievement
Women still represent only a small fraction of those in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, and minority women represent an even smaller fraction, according to a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) study.
NSF found that 60,706 men received bachelor's degrees in engineering in 2010, while women were awarded 13,693 degrees. Just 805 of those degrees went to black women, while Hispanic women received 1,346 engineering degrees. In addition, men received 29,212 master's degrees while women received 8,402 master's degrees, 334 of which went to black women and 366 to Hispanic women.
To help bridge these gaps, the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) held the school's first Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day in February. "We want to change this fear of engineering so that, instead, it empowers and instructs these kids, especially minorities," says NYIT dean Nada Marie Anid.
Women in STEM fields say there are several reasons why girls tend to pursue other fields of study, including feeling intimidated or lacking encouragement from their parents or peers. Anid says sustained programing for women and women of color is required to keep them on a STEM trajectory, along with strategies that include teachers and parents.
From Newsday
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