A Gap Still to be Closed in STEM Fields as Women Seek Opportunities

Despite making up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, women are still vastly underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce, the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week.

Women made gains – from 8% of STEM workers in 1970 to 27% in 2019 – but men continue to outnumber women across the field. Men made up 52% of all U.S. workers but 73% of all STEM workers, according to Census data.

As a measure of the progress that has been made, in 1970 women made up 38% of all U.S. workers and 8% of STEM workers. By 2019, the STEM proportion had increased to 27% and women made up 48% of all workers, the Census data showed. Women in 2019 also made up nearly half of those in all math (47%) and life and physical science (45%) occupations, and women working in engineering occupations increased from 3% in 1970 to 15% in 2019.

Among the 70 detailed STEM occupations the Census Bureau reports on, women earned more than men in only one STEM occupation: computer network architects. But women represented only 8% of those in this occupation.

Institutions and organizations in Connecticut are working diligently to improve those numbers and close the opportunity gap.  The Connecticut Science Center’s Women in Science initiative, for example, encourages girls and young women to pursue studies and career paths in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and celebrates the achievements of women in the sciences.  The initiative offers numerous education opportunties throughout the year, many featuring women already in the STEM fields, and seeks to bridge the gender gap in STEM by developing original programming to engage girls in science and to build the community of women in the sciences.  Upcoming on February 18 is a free program focused on the persistence of race in scientific research. 

The State of Connecticut official website includes a listing of various programs available in Connecticut, and organizations furthering awareness and opportunities within the STEM fields. 

According to 2013 data compiled by Status of Women in the States, Connecticut ranked 8th in the nation in the percentage of women employed in the STEM occupations, and 15th in the U.S. in share of all STEM workers who were women, 30.2%.

Sabrina Tucker-Barrett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Girls For Technology, co-founded the nonprofit startup in 2015 in Hartford to encourage girls ages 11 to 17 to explore opportunities to become tomorrow’s leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Of note, the fact that women of color earn the smallest share of STEM degrees, an ongoing challenge that they address head-on.

Girls For Technology points out that while 19% of women earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, only 3% of minority women did so.  And while 18% of women earn a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, only 5% of minority women earned that degree.   Aiming to “empower the next generation,” they partner with schools and other community providers to inspire girls to realize their potential in the fields of Technology and Engineering, offering a variety of programs in the local community.

Young women participating in the programs have demonstrated the difference that opportunity can make.  They’ve been to the White House, won an award from Facebook for their coding efforts, spent time with Google engineers, and much more – hands-on interactions with top companies in STEM, and holding their own.

STEMfems Junior is a series of easy-to-implement educational modules offered by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, designed specifically with Connecticut’s National Science Standards to address the gender gap in STEM. It is part of the Hall’s STEMfems: Women Transforming Our World initiative which highlights pioneering Connecticut women in STEM and inspires young women to pursue STEM careers.

The program provides opportunities for teachers to embed these modules in their curriculum to highlight pioneering Connecticut women in STEM through the stories of the Inductees. The module offers discussion activities and creative activities to encourage young people to explore the field of the inductee.  Each STEMfems Junior curricular guide is suitable for grades 3-5 and focuses on the story of one Connecticut woman’s contributions to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.  Included are lessons highlighting the accomplishments of astronomer Dorrit Hoffleit and geneticist and Nobel Prize winner Barbara McClintock.

The Connecticut Technology Council’s annual Women of Innovation awards program recognizes women innovators, role models, and leaders in science and technology, including outstanding young women at the high school and collegiate levels pursuing technology professions. Over the past nearly two decades, it has creating and expanding a vibrant network of more than 750 women throughout Connecticut - outstanding individuals recognized for their great achievements and excellence in the STEM fields. Last year, there were over 150 nominations across 10 categories, reflecting the excellence at work in Connecticut at work in the STEM fields, and aspiring to join them.