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Gender Equality in the Modern World
Gender equality remains one of the major issues of the contemporary world. While great success was achieved in education and professional training, institutional obstacles keep hindering women’s participation and success in specific fields, especially in business and STEM. The 4equality Project stands to provide tools and practices to young women and youth workers for being able to deal with these challenges.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are the very fields that move innovation forward and determine the future. However, while women account for approximately half of the global workforce, they are underrepresented in STEM fields. This inequality inhibits not only gender equality but also the full potential of technical and scientific progress.
Gender bias is deeply rooted in societal norms and can manifest in various forms, such as hiring practices and workplace relationships. Stereotyping, unequal opportunities, and exclusionary workplace cultures are some of the specific problems women face in male-dominated sectors. Such issues require concerted efforts at empowering women and educating the stakeholders to create an inclusive environment.
UNESCO data reveals that women make up “only 33% of researchers worldwide; hold only 12% of memberships in national science academies and face challenges in obtaining research grants compared to men. To effectively address this significant gender gap in science, that impacts society at large, it is crucial to delve into the reasons and mechanisms behind it.”[1] The numbers in leadership and high-paying positions, especially engineering and technology, continue to dwindle. Social preconceptions, a shortage of mentorship, and workplace partiality keep most women out of these fields.
It’s a gap created by systemic barriers:
- Gender stereotypes discourage young girls from pursuing an education in STEM. The I WISH (“a Volunteer led community committed to showcasing the power of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths to female secondary school students.”[2]) Survey of Female Students’ Attitudes to STEM[3] states that 33% of teenage girls say stereotypes continue to discourage girls from entering STEM fields.
- Access: Limited exposure to STEM-related activities and mentors reduces girls’ interest in these subjects. The study “Gender differences in high school students’ interest in STEM careers: a multi-group comparison based on structural equation model”[4] reveals that there are “gender differences in the mediating roles of STEM self-efficacy and STEM careers perceptions between environmental factors and interest in STEM careers.”[5]
- Bias: Women in STEM endure workplace discrimination, unequal remuneration, and limited professional development opportunities. The study “Gender Inequality in STEM Employment and Earnings at Career Entry: Evidence from Millennial Birth Cohorts”[6] shows that „Even among a sample expected to produce highly conservative gender differences, sizable gender inequalities in STEM employment are observed. The authors show that despite women’s gains in STEM education among recent cohorts, women with STEM degrees face employment prospects in STEM work that more closely resemble those of men without STEM degrees than men with STEM degrees.“[7]
Diversity in STEM goes beyond being a social justice issue; it is a necessity for creativity. Studies have shown that diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams in innovation and problem-solving capability. Research from McKinsey & Company “How inclusion matters”[8] highlights that teams with gender diversity are 21% more likely to outperform their peers in profitability[9]. In other studies they also state that “Companies with representation of women exceeding 30 percent (and thus in the top quartile) are significantly more likely to financially outperform those with 30 percent or fewer.”[10]
This can be attributed to the fact that diverse groups challenge conventional thought, leading to more innovative solutions. Women in STEM provide a wider range of ideas, which leads to solutions that help society as a whole.
Breaking Barriers: Global Efforts, Success Stories
Other ways the gender gap is being addressed include scholarships, mentorship programs, and campaigns to encourage young girls to pursue STEM jobs. Girls Who Code[11] (an organization that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to our mission.”[12] Girls Who Code focuses their work “not only on gender diversity but also on young women who are historically underrepresented in computer science fields.”[13]), the UN’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science[14] (“This Day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened.”[15], and grassroots groups from around the world are emphasizing empowering women in these professions.
Women like NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, Ada Lovelace-the world’s first computer programmer[16], Marie Curie (who “was a giant in the fields of physics and chemistry. She was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. Also, she is one of only two people ever to win the Nobel Prize in two different fields and contemporary trailblazers”[17]) and many more successful women in AI, biotechnology, physics, astronomy, etc. inspire future generations to realize the enormous potential of women in STEM.
“When asked to name her greatest contribution to space exploration, Katherine Johnson would talk about the calculations that helped synch Project Apollo’s Lunar Module with the lunar-orbiting Command and Service Module. She also worked on the Space Shuttle and the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS, later renamed Landsat) and authored or coauthored 26 research reports.”[18].
“In 2015, at age 97, Johnson added another extraordinary achievement to her long list: President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.”[19]
Ada Lovelace “worked on Charles Babbage’s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine, in the mid-19th century. Her notes on the engine include what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. Without a doubt, Lovelace’s work laid the groundwork for future generations of computer programming.”[20]
The 4equality Initiative: Objectives and Impact
The 4equality project is a collaboration among organizations from Poland, Portugal, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. It aims to:
- Empower Young Women: Provide tools for self-assessment, professional development, and resilience to mitigate the effects of gender bias.
- Support Youth Workers: Develop a toolkit to educate and prepare youth workers to address discrimination and foster inclusivity in professional environments.
- Promote Cultural Change: Encourage gender-inclusive behaviors among young men and women through education and awareness.
The project acknowledges that fighting against gender bias cannot be restricted to empowering individuals but has to change the workplace culture. Using various resources like e-mentoring and e-training, it seeks to prepare young women against male-dominated industries and at the same time create a culture for equity.
- Skills Self-Evaluation Tool: This tool helps in identifying, within themselves, the competing advantages of women and overcoming some of the internalized biases.
- Youth Worker Toolkit: A resource that can help create awareness, support young women, and foster inclusivity.
- Multidisciplinary E-Training: Customized to help young women acquire skills in order to be proactive against gender bias and navigate around it.
While progress has been made, much work remains to achieve gender parity in the field of STEM. Empowerment of women in these fields is not about fairness; it’s about tapping into untapped potential that could revolutionize industries and solve global challenges.
The struggle for gender equality is multi-dimensional, and it requires the contribution of individuals, organizations, and policy makers. 4equality is a perfect example of how joint efforts can bring about real change: equipping young women to succeed and creating an environment that embraces diversity.
We all need to commit to challenging biases, promoting diversity, and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups as we support gender equality. We can make sure that everyone has a chance to thrive, no matter what gender.
[1] https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/students-and-stem-professionals-your-voices-count-participate-unesco-global-survey-gender-equality
[2] https://www.iwish.ie/about/
[3] https://www.iwish.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/I-WISH-2024-Survey-Report.pdf
[4] https://stemeducationjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40594-023-00443-6
[5] https://stemeducationjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40594-023-00443-6
[6] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356967571_Gender_Inequality_in_STEM_Employment_and_Earnings_at_Career_Entry_Evidence_from_Millennial_Birth_Cohorts
[7] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356967571_Gender_Inequality_in_STEM_Employment_and_Earnings_at_Career_Entry_Evidence_from_Millennial_Birth_Cohorts
[8] https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf
[9] https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/diversity%20and%20inclusion/diversity%20wins%20how%20inclusion%20matters/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters-vf.pdf
[10] https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact
[11] https://girlswhocode.com/
[12] https://girlswhocode.com/diversity-equity-and-inclusion
[13] https://girlswhocode.com/diversity-equity-and-inclusion
[14] https://www.womeninscienceday.org/
[15] https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day
[16] https://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/lovelace.html
[17] https://www.britannica.com/summary/Marie-Curies-Achievements
[18] https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/katherine-johnson-biography/
[19] https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/katherine-johnson-biography/
[20] https://www.teneo.ai/blog/the-evolution-of-womens-contributions-in-ai-from-pioneers-to-modern-leaders