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Helping Women Gain Ground in STEM Fields

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Written By Jarin Eisenberg

The gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is well known to educators and business professionals. Although women represent almost half of the workforce, they held only about 24% of STEM jobs as of 2017, according to a U.S. Department of Commerce report.

There are a variety of explanations as to why women are not better represented in these areas of employment and study. Some attribute the gap to academic climates that are male-dominated. Others insist that a lack of role models in the field leaves women with little guidance and feeling isolated – we rarely see images of women portrayed as computer programmers, engineers or scientists in the media. Still, others attribute the gap to a lack of interest.

All of these factors are influenced by K-12 education and the role it plays in encouraging girls to pursue specific areas of study.

The challenges women face in gaining ground in STEM fields are complicated. In order for women to be successful in these professions – for them to have the same opportunities as their male counterparts – we must examine the biases and stereotypes they may encounter, whether subtle or overt. Such prejudices can affect not only a woman’s likelihood of finding employment, but also her chances of getting much-needed capital to fund projects.

An article from Wired written by Cai Gao, a fullstack developer, highlighted the impact organizational culture can have on limiting female representation in the tech field.

“No self-respecting and capable woman wants to be treated—or paid—like a second-class citizen; such treatment sometimes leads female engineers to leave the field entirely. Companies should give women the opportunity to lead from day one.”

There is a lot to be done to increase women’s representation in key STEM fields, and that includes taking a critical look at technology-based companies that are able to push society forward with their innovative ideas, yet still cling to antiquated ideas when it comes to gender.

The STEM fields offer tremendous potential for qualified professionals, federal statistics show. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics*, employment in STEM occupations is projected to grow 8.8% from 2018 to 2028, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage in this category was $84,880, which is 129% higher than the median annual wage for non-STEM occupations.

Despite gains over the past 40 years, women are significantly underrepresented in computer science and math, along with STEM management positions, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Similarly, women with STEM degrees comprise about 20% of all STEM-degree holders working in STEM jobs. About 40% of men with STEM degrees work in STEM jobs, while 23% of women with STEM degrees work in STEM fields.

The rise of distance education and the prevalence of technology-based online degree offerings lend themselves to a different set of questions. For example, how are gendered processes mitigated in an online environment? Some see asynchronous learning environments as a gender-neutral environment.

In our Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) online degree program at Florida Tech, we found that women represent 34% of our student population, much higher than the national average of just over 22% in graduate classes. In addition, the program has a strong female presence, with just about half of the courses developed and taught by women.

Not only do our online students have female peers in their classes, but they are also able to see women teaching and performing their field of study.

Jarin Eisenberg is the Major Gift Officer at Florida Tech. She previously was coordinator of online degree programs at Florida Tech’s Bisk College of Business, and is currently an online instructor. To learn more about Eisenberg, read our interview here.


*Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projects, Employment in STEM Occupations, on the internet at https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm (accessed October 10, 2019).

National long-term projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, and do not guarantee actual job growth. Degree and/or certificate program options do not guarantee career or salary outcomes. Students should conduct independent research for specific employment information.

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