Abstract
We conducted a study in two different high schools in Mississauga to see if there was a correlation between gender and interest to study Chemistry after high school. A vast number of adolescent females reported no interest in studying Chemistry (65%) compared to adolescent males (26%). Our research suggests that disproportionally of women to men in Chemistry may originate as early as high school. We recommend that high school Science/Chemistry curriculum must be more inclusive to help young girls develop an interest in Chemistry, and Science in general. Teachers must combat stereotypes in the classrooms and introduce young women to more female role models in Science/Chemistry to empower them to pursue Chemistry in post-secondary years.
Highlights
At the 2010 TedGlobal conference, Pulitzer Prize winner Sheryl WuDunn stated that gender inequality is becoming the leading injustice of the 21st century
In 2007, when presenting to a segregated audience in Saudi Arabia, business mogul Bill Gates was asked if it was realistic for Saudi Arabia to aim to be one of the leading country in the field of technology by 2010
WuDunn and Gates are just a fraction of the influential activists that are forcing the international community to recognize the underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and the inequalities they face compared to men
Summary
At the 2010 TedGlobal conference, Pulitzer Prize winner Sheryl WuDunn stated that gender inequality is becoming the leading injustice of the 21st century. In 2007, when presenting to a segregated audience in Saudi Arabia, business mogul Bill Gates was asked if it was realistic for Saudi Arabia to aim to be one of the leading country in the field of technology by 2010. WuDunn and Gates are just a fraction of the influential activists that are forcing the international community to recognize the underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and the inequalities they face compared to men. Women with a STEM undergraduate degree are less likely to pursue a career in STEM fields. These women are more likely to acquire positions in education and healthcare (“Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation”, n.d.)
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