The Policy Greenhouse

Source: Dept. of Education STEM Resources Page, NCES, Gender Inequality in STEM, Gender Discrimination in STEM Fields

STEM courses and participation in general is incredibly important in the 21st century. These classes are a core part in preparing students for college, jobs, and giving them tools to succeed in the workplace. According to a 2015 survey, 18 percent of college graduates out of 1.8 Million students earned degrees in a STEM field. This number seems to be growing, further indicating just how important a STEM education is in Modern America.

That is why fact that women are often overlooked in STEM education is so unacceptable. Girls are shown to have the same STEM capabilities early on as Boys. However, further down the line (in secondary school), a gap appears and widens a little in between how well the boys are doing versus the girls. This is due to girls’s self confidence being lowered in STEM over the years. This happens even if there is no real gap in terms of ability in STEM fields between boys and girls. This fall in self confidence leads to less participation and interest in STEM fields for girls. Because this fall in self confidence is not caused by any sudden drop in ability that girls experience, it is indicative of a negative attitude toward girls in STEM in schools.

That is why the 4 Equity Assistance Centers (EAC), funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, are so important. They promote equal educational opportunities all across America and are integral in the effort to get more girls into STEM fields in order to achieve more representation for women in STEM careers. It is incredibly important that these women succeed in these traditionally Male Dominated Fields in order for women to have an established place in fields such as computer science. Currently, over 50% of women in STEM jobs have reported to have experience gender-based discrimination in the workplace. This must be in part due to the fact that there are not that many women in STEM fields. Therefore, the presence of EACs funded by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are completely and totally necessary in order to guarantee women a fair chance to succeed in STEM.