Women in STEM: A Statistical Perspective

Abstract

Almost 50% of the world's population are women. However only 18 women have won the Nobel Prize in STEM. Only 1 woman has won the Fields Medal in Mathematics. Women make up less than 25% of the workforce even in the most well-known technology companies in the world. Despite the significant increase in the number of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) fields (as students, faculty and professionals in industry) in recent years, men still outnumber women by a huge margin. This issue is particularly acute in fields like Computer Science, Engineering and Physics where women account for only about 20% of the undergraduate degrees. The purpose of the study was to understand the perception behind women’s under representation in STEM and to recommend potential solutions. After studying a representative cross section of the published research work dealing with Women in STEM, a questionnaire was designed to gather primary research data. The survey was administered to 267 respondents after a focus group discussion. To articulate the problem statement, the questions were broken down to three areas. 1. Why do you think women do not study STEM subjects? 2. Even if they study STEM, women do not pursue STEM careers. Why? 3. How do you feel more women can be encouraged to pursue STEM careers? The responses to the above were statistically analysed and correlated between various groups of respondents (across gender, location and age groups). Materials and Methods Used - Secondary literature review from articles, journals, interviews, blogs etc - Primary research across 267 respondents using a survey tool - Focused Group Discussions among STEM and non-STEM professionals - Data Analysis using pivot tables, filters and charts etc in MS Excel - Statistical Analysis techniques including frequency distribution, descriptive statistics, correlation etc.