10 Major Reasons Women Avoid Choosing a Career In STEM

For decades, STEM has been considered a male-dominated field and women still have to struggle to carve a name in this field. There has been a long debate on this subject that questions the many reasons girls fail to make a career in STEM. The experts have conflicting views on this hot subject and different people think of the issue differently. Some blame the gender bias for the issue. Some believe that it has to do with the severe competition. On the other hand, there are people who are of the view that working in STEM is too demanding for women to survive. The topic is currently in the news as part of the international day of the girl child and experts are participating in this debate to find out the underlying reasons behind the issue: Taking into consideration the gravity of this issue, here we bring here some of the major reasons women don’t want to work in the STEM industry:

1. Fewer Number of Female Students In STEM Education

There is less number of female students who seek a degree in STEM education. Based on a report by Statista, there are approximately 2X more number of male students than female students who were awarded STEM certification. Part of this fact is associated with the growing number of women who switch their course after enrolling in the STEM. The majority of them cite the demanding syllabus and tough projects as primary reasons for leaving the course, while some of them have to help from assignment help deal to pull off their projects. According to an interview by Joann DiGennaro published in US News, the majority of the girls who take up a course in STEM are likely to switch in the second year. Here is what she had to say in the interview: “Girls in universities will start out with STEM, but many times we see at the second year they will switch. It’s a complex issue. We applaud that there are more opportunities, but the issues of bench (basic) science need to be looked at carefully.”

2.The Growing Perception That Discourages Women To Join STEM Field

There is a common perception among women who think that STEM is only a career of choice for men. From the start of their education, parents to tend to form a perception that makes girls believe that STEM is only meant for the male gender. This kind of mental conditioning is one of the reasons why there is less number of girls who want to pursue a career in STEM.

3.Working In STEM Is Extremely Demanding

Working in a STEM field is extremely challenging. There are high expectations from the employer. There are higher working hours. And there is stiff competition. These all are factors that make STEM a demanding career choice for a woman. So the women have to go the extra mile to survive in this challenging industry.

4.Sense of Isolation

This is one of the lesser-known causes of why there are fewer women who want to associate with the field of STEM. A lot of women who joins a STEM career feel a sense of isolation as there are very few women in this industry. So they have very little opportunities for social interactions. This is particularly a strong reason for women who consider themselves a misfit during a social get-together and official meeting.

5.Less Chance For Professional Progress

For women, STEM offers fewer opportunities for career growth. Since there are more men at the crucial position in a STEM-driven workplace, there are fewer chances for women to build a lucrative career. Since the women have little scope for getting major promotions, they don’t want to apply for a STEM job.

6.The Fear of Failure

Since there are grim chances for women to survive in a male-dominated field like STEM, they consciously make a decision to not enter this industry. The underlying factor is always the insecurities they have about their survival. In other words, it is the anticipation of failure that makes it difficult for the women to choose a career in STEM.

7. Challenges of Work-Life Balance

Since STEM is a more demanding field, it is difficult for married women to tackle the challenges of work and life. There are plenty of surveys that validate the fact that less married women will like to join STEM as a career option. Unlike the other available career options, the married women have to spend more time and resources to meet the requirements for being a STEM professional.

8.Lower Pay Scale For Women

Among the many reasons behind the fewer number of women in the STEM field, the low remuneration for women is a major reason. A study by MIT committee finds that women get only eighty percent of their male counterpart. This is why a lot of women hesitate to work in this industry as they walk away with much less salary than the other gender.

9.Gender Biases

Gender bias is a reality in the workplace and a lot of women complain about having subjected to gender discrimination in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is a male domain. So if we go by the idea of unconscious bias, it is natural for the same-sex to give favors to each other.

10.There Is Strict Competition From Male Gender

Since STEM is a male-dominated field, there is tough competition for the female gender to enter the STEM field. Again, the gender favor has an indirect influence on this trend. Since the STEM industry is filled with males, women have to pit against their male counterpart to progress. This is why more and more women are turning their heads away from this industry.

Closing Thoughts…

On this international day of the girl child, we shed light on some of the major reasons that women don’t want to enter the STEM field. Based on the aforementioned reasons, the future of this industry is not much promising for the female gender. To cope with the issue, it is important for the educators, social commentators, and academic experts to raise more awareness on this subject and encourage more women to join this industry. Hope there will be more women who want to take up a career in STEM in future and contribute to the development of this industry.