Underrepresentation Of Women In Science Research Articles

Empowering Women in Biomedical Engineering: A Departmental Pathway to Inclusion and Support

ABSTRACT The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including biomedical engineering, remains a persistent challenge and emphasizes the need for initiatives that attract and retain more women in the field. Such initiatives should address this gender imbalance and aim to harness the diverse perspectives and talents of all genders. Women in engineering face unique challenges due to the field’s male-dominated nature. Gender bias, stereotypes, and family-unfriendly expectations can significantly affect women’s experiences, hindering their opportunities for recognition and career advancement. A 2021 survey of the Biomedical Engineering Department and Graduate Group at the University of California Davis revealed that women and marginalized individuals experience a different sense of belonging compared with their white male counterparts, frequently encounter challenges related to implicit bias, microaggressions, and a lack of adequate support, mentorship, and opportunities for professional development. Here, we describe and reflect on the efforts by the Biomedical Engineering Health, Equity, and Wellness Committee to begin to address these challenges. We launched the Women+ in Biomedical Engineering Lunch Series, which provides a platform for women, marginalized individuals, and their allies to come together, connect, and share experiences. The lunch series aims to facilitate open dialogue, mentorship, and support and promote networking opportunities to bridge the gender gap in the field. The initial meetings in the Spring quarter of 2023 focused on key topics such as mentoring, mental health and stress management, and the effect of legislation on women’s professional lives. By providing a safe space for discussion, sharing experiences, and addressing these topics, the lunch series aims to break down barriers and build networks, foster a supportive environment, and empower women to thrive in biomedical engineering.

Meeting the Needs of Underrepresented Female Students Using Innovative Molecular Models

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields is of national concern. Research shows that females begin to lose confidence in their math and science abilities in middle school and it worsens in high school. Developing and leveraging young women’s interest in these topics via active learning activities and hands on models can encourage pursuit of STEM degrees in college. The MIT Edgerton Center Models and Curriculum was incorporated into the EMPOWER Program, a four-week program engaging female research scholars in 10th-12th grade in a summer fellowship that provided hands-on research experience focused on in-depth understanding of how exposures to toxic environmental insults in the urban environment impact health and alter biologic processes. The models were used to teach about DNA/RNA and protein synthesis. The models are designed to teach processes, in addition to structure. They are made to be manipulated so learners can perform cellular functions with their own hands. We hypothesized that using a hands on activity would increase engagement and learning about the Central Dogma of Life. Methods: Participants were guided through exercises using the models. Students (n=5) and teachers (n=2) utilized the MIT Edgerton Center Models of DNA/RNA and protein synthesis. Results/Discussion: Surveys were completed at the end of the program to determine student’s perceived impact on their learning and overall experience using the hands-on models. A Likert scale was used to assess student learning. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 representing strongly agree, all participants strongly agreed the models helped them learn more about DNA/RNA and proteins. Conclusion: Innovative molecular models increased student engagement and learning creating an environment for student centered learning. NIEHS Project Number: 5R25ES030240-03. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

This WOMEN in EVER session is connecting early‐career and leading women scientists from all over Europe to tackle the underrepresentation of women in science by increasing visibility

This WOMEN in EVER session is connecting early‐career and leading women scientists from all over Europe, to tackle the under‐representation of women in science by increasing visibility.Distinguished women scientists and clinicians will meet here to connect and to inspire young women scientist about how successful careers in Ophthalmology and Vision Science look like – this is a great opportunity to acknowledge the contribution women scientists make in Ophthalmology.Strategies of empowerment for women: Developing ability for critical thinking Fostering decision‐making and action through collective processes Ensuring equal participation in developmental processes Enhancing self‐esteem and self confidence in women. Women are still underrepresented in science. Even though half of the first semester students in Europe are female, the ratio is getting less equal with each upper qualification level. For example, the female share among the highest‐paid professorships is about 20%. However, it has already been shown that mixed teams achieve better results due to the different perspectives, meaning that gender equality in science is mandatory and has a positive effect on research quality.

Women on the move for science, technology, engineering and mathematics: Gender selectivity in higher education student migration

AbstractDespite the gendered rebalancing of enrolments in higher education (HE) in the West, the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines persists. Gendered selectivity of field of study influences higher education student migration (HESM) and in turn sheds light on HE participation. Framed by gender intersectionality theories both in HE studies and migration scholarship, this paper uses innovative data to analyse the intersectional effect of gender and field of study on HESM in Canada. Based on Statistics Canada's postsecondary student information system for the 2019/20 academic year, Canadian interregional flow matrixes structured by gender, field and level of study are constructed and analysed. The results show compelling evidence of the influence of gendered differences in HESM when intersected with field and level of study. Notably, women pursuing STEM studies migrate significantly more than any other grouping (i.e. gender, field and level of study groupings). The paper concludes with a discussion of policy implications for the influence of HESM on community demographic make‐up and local labour markets, as well as future research including the need to understand gendered dimensions of migration intentions and motivations.

Affirmative recruitment of women in STEM: a case study

ABSTRACT The under-representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines has been well documented. We discuss an affirmative action recruitment strategy from the University of Melbourne’s STEM disciplines where only female applicants were eligible to apply for academic positions. This strategy has been very successful in attracting high-calibre female applicants, with more than the original target of women being recruited. This affirmative action recruitment strategy was not intended to be undertaken on an ongoing basis. We show that by undertaking one round of affirmative action recruitment, it signalled to prospective female applicants that the university is committed to gender equity. This resulted in more female STEM applicants applying in subsequent open recruitment rounds. We discuss the rationale behind this strategy, its allowance under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, Victoria, Australia, and the results achieved. We also address challenges faced and lessons learned.

The influence of personal skills development and coping self-efficacy on the affective occupational commitment of women in STEM fields

PurposeDespite continuing under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, the literature still falls short on identifying and explaining the factors that could contribute to women's persistence and commitment. The purpose of this research is to identify cognitive and behavioral factors that will support the occupational commitment of women in STEM.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative analysis is based on a questionnaire survey of 375 women working in STEM in the Middle East region. Multiple regression and bootstrapping methods were employed in the analysis of the data.FindingsThe results support the following hypotheses: personal skills development has a positive impact on affective occupational commitment and coping self-efficacy, and coping self-efficacy mediates the relationship between personal skills development and affective occupational commitment.Originality/valueThis study adds insights on the dynamic approaches adopted by women in STEM fields to overcome occupational career challenges by testing several internal drivers, coping self-efficacy and personal learning.

Numeracy Gender Gap in STEM Higher Education: The Role of Neuroticism and Math Anxiety.

The under-representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is ubiquitous and understanding the roots of this phenomenon is mandatory to guarantee social equality and economic growth. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of non-cognitive factors that usually show higher levels in females, such as math anxiety (MA) and neuroticism personality trait, to numeracy competence, a core component in STEM studies. A sample of STEM undergraduate students, balanced for gender (NF = NM = 70) and Intelligent Quotient (IQ), completed online self-report questionnaires and a numeracy cognitive assessment test. Results show that females scored lower in the numeracy test, and higher in the non-cognitive measures. Moreover, compared to males’, females’ numeracy scores were more strongly influenced by MA and neuroticism. We also tested whether MA association to numeracy is mediated by neuroticism, and whether this mediation is characterized by gender differences. While we failed to detect a significant mediation of neuroticism in the association between MA and numeracy overall, when gender was added as a moderator in this association, neuroticism turned out to be significant for females only. Our findings revealed that non-cognitive factors differently supported numeracy in females and males in STEM programs.

A social cognitive perspective on gender disparities in self-efficacy, interest, and aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): the influence of cultural and gender norms

BackgroundThe underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is well documented in developed countries, and yet public discussion of gender disparities in STEM in China is still in its nascent stage. Endorsement of traditional gender role beliefs and conformity to social norms are pertinent to Chinese culture, which may even exacerbate the gender disparities in STEM engagement. Grounded in social cognitive career theory, the present study drew on a national sample of secondary school students (N = 3020) in China to estimate gender disparities in self-efficacy, interest, and aspirations in STEM and examine how cultural and gender norms influence STEM engagement.ResultsThe proposed sequential mediation model was supported, in which girls were more likely to show lower levels of self-efficacy than boys; this was associated with lower interest in STEM and lower motivation to pursue STEM careers. The results also supported the moderating effect of traditional gender role beliefs and found that gender differences in self-efficacy, interest, and aspirations in STEM were more apparent among students who strongly endorsed stereotypical views of male and female roles.ConclusionsThe findings provide important implications for efforts to improve girls’ access to STEM education through curriculum enrichment and out-of-school time programs to bridge the gender gap in STEM. Access to female role models and gender-responsive pedagogy is also essential to boost girls’ self-efficacy in STEM and eradicate traditional gender role beliefs among all students.

Gender differences in science, technology, engineering and maths uptake and attainment in post‐16 education

AbstractThe underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) occupations is a world‐wide phenomenon. The UK is simultaneously encountering a shortage of STEM skills. While gender imbalances in STEM study in higher education and A‐level study are widely documented, gender imbalances are apparent in vocational post‐16 education, though the existence and causes of these imbalances have received little attention. This paper uses administrative data to explore the extent of gender imbalances in STEM qualifications attempted and achieved in vocational post‐16 education routes. Gender differentials in the uptake of vocational STEM qualifications are much starker than they are in A‐levels and the roles of ability, socio‐economic status and school characteristics in explaining gender differentials differ with the education route taken, though their power in explaining these gaps is limited.

Gender representation in science publication: evidence from Brain Communications.

The persistent underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) points to the need to continue promoting the awareness and understanding of this phenomenon. Being one of the main outputs of scientific work, academic publications provide the opportunity to quantify the gender gap in science as well as to identify possible sources of bias and areas of improvement. Brain Communications is a ‘young’ journal founded in 2019, committed to transparent publication of rigorous work in neuroscience, neurology and psychiatry. For all manuscripts (n = 796) received by the journal between 2019 and 2021, we analysed the gender of all authors (n = 7721) and reviewers (n = 4492). Overall, women were 35.3% of all authors and 31.3% of invited reviewers. A considerably higher proportion of women was found in first authorship (42.4%) than in last authorship positions (24.9%). The representation of women authors and reviewers decreased further in the months following COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting a possible exacerbating role of the pandemic on existing disparities in science publication. The proportion of manuscripts accepted for publication was not significantly different according to the gender of the first, middle or last authors, meaning we found no evidence of gender bias within the review or editorial decision-making processes at Brain Communications.

Women in Computer Science and Engineering: A Transformational Leadership Approach to Gender Equity

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a phenomenon that needs to be addressed from an educational perspective. Within the domains of computer science and engineering (CS&E) the gender imbalance is even more acute as the underrepresentation of women not only persists but has increased over the past few decades (Corbett & Hill, 2015; Master et al., 2016). In this paper a discussion of the current situation of women’s underrepresentation across broad CS&E domains is presented. This will be demonstrated through a review of research into the historical factors and institutional practices that have been ongoing barriers to the inclusion of women in CS&E. Then, a discussion of how transformational leadership theory can serve as a tool for change to help scholars better understand the present situation, and then guide practitioners in overcoming it, is presented. To this end, the paper concludes with a discussion of how diversity and inclusion ideas, based on a transformational leadership approach, can improve gender equity in CS&E. Keywords: underrepresented, women, gender, transformational, leadership

Will We Ever Close the Gender Gap Among Top Mathematics Achievers? Analysis of Recent Trends by Race in Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Analyzing the test scores of more than 10,000,000 students who participated in the Advanced Placement (AP) math exams from 1997 to 2019, this study examined the direction and magnitude of the trend in gender disparity by race in participation in and top achievement on AP Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Statistics exams. The results of this study indicated that, in general, females’ representation in all three AP exams increased significantly. Although the findings indicated that the female-to-male ratios (FMRs) in participation in the AP math exams increased significantly from 1997 to 2019 and favored females for all races, the gender disparities among top achievers for all math exams are still substantial. The relationships between the FMRs in participation and top achievement for all AP math exams were also analyzed within races, and the possible impacts of these findings within the context of the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were also discussed.

Societal Barriers that Hinder Maldivian Women from Succeeding in Information Technology Sector Jobs

The under-representation of women in Information Technology (IT) sector in the Maldives reflects in the overall under-representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and in paid employment in general. Despite the challenges, a significant number of Maldivian women complete higher education in IT, but very few succeed to make a life-long career in IT. Hence, the purpose of the research presented in this paper was to analyze the societal barriers that impact Maldivian women pursuing IT-related careers. The findings of this correlational study revealed that antiquated thinking, gender discrimination, and marital status were perceived to have a higher significant negative impact on Maldivian women pursuing IT-related careers, while work-home conflict or the double burden of domestic work and work demands, and age discrimination had a lesser perceived correlation. The findings have implications for policy on promoting gender equality in the workforce in the Maldives.

Institutional imperatives for the advancement of women in medicine and science through the COVID-19 pandemic

Institutional imperatives for the advancement of women in medicine and science through the COVID-19 pandemic

Women With Impact: Taking One Small Step into the Universe

Out of 1,578 cataloged and named craters on the Moon, only 32 are named after women. That is a scant 2%. To highlight the underrepresentation of women in science, the author created two connected art projects. The initial project, Women With Impact, is a series of drawings of Moon craters named after women. Building on this oeuvre is One Small Step, a participatory project that invites prominent female astronomers to perform a meditative walk while wearing 3D-printed shoe soles that create a small Moon crater with each step.

Examining science performance of South African Grade 9 learners in TIMSS 2015 through a gender lens

It is widely acknowledged that understanding of science is key to becoming global citizens and to embrace technological advancements. Although research suggests that girl’s performance in science has improved over the years, there are still concerns about the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers in most African countries, including South Africa. Variability in science performance according to gender is still an unresolved issue. In this study we aimed to examine the relationship between gender and science item achievement of Grade 9 South African learners in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2015. We used data collected by TIMSS 2015. The data were further analysed using International Database (IDB) analyser and t-test statistics. The results show that in general gender did not influence learner achievement in most of the test items. However, the findings indicate that girls performed better than boys in most of the questions in all 4 content domains and in the knowing and reasoning cognitive domains. The study highlighted that gender had a limited effect in the manner in which the girls and boys answered the different test items. The observed gender differences in the content domains could be related to socio-cultural environments and learning experiences.

SDG 5 and the Gender Gap in Standardization: Empirical Evidence From Germany

Whereas (technical) standards often affect society as a whole, they are mostly developed by men. In the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality), this article motivates research on the gender gap in standardization, focusing in a first step on the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and leadership positions as one possible cause. A novel data set of more than 8000 organizations that develop formal standards and 28,000 affiliated experts (10.5% female) confirms that women are descriptively under-represented. A logistic regression shows that organizations’ size, industry, and geographical location are significant factors that are associated with representation by female standardizers. Standard-development for construction, mechanical and electrical engineering is especially male-dominated, while the east of Germany shows more female representation than the west. The presented empirical evidence of female under-representation suggests a need for standard-setting organizations to expand their focus from considering gender in standards documents to actively promoting female participation in their committees. It further adds to the debate on stakeholder representation in standardization and its legitimacy as a co-regulative system in the EU.

Join us: Dynamic norms encourage women to pursue STEM

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is a key challenge in many countries. Extant studies have explored why women opt out of STEM fields and how to encourage women to enter these fields. The current research examined the use of dynamic information about the collective change in a behavior over time to increase women’s willingness and intention to embark on STEM fields. Across two experimental studies and a mini meta-analysis, we found that when exposed to a message about an increasing number of women choosing to pursue STEM careers over time, female students in high school (Study 1) and college (Study 2) were more likely to declare an intention to enter STEM fields and have more interest in STEM careers. Furthermore, we tested the mediating effects of self-efficacy and perceived identity compatibility (Study 2). The results showed that dynamic norms can increase women’s self-efficacy for pursuing a career in STEM fields and perceived identity compatibility, thereby leading to greater interest in STEM fields and more willingness to choose a STEM career.

Books and Other Reviews

KEY POINTS Discerning Experts: The Practices of Scientific Assessment for Environmental Policy — Glenn Suter The Triumph of Doubt: Dark Money and the Science of Deception — Glenn Suter Environmental Risk Assessment, A Toxicological Approach, 2nd Edition — Glenn Suter Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine: Opening Doors — Robert Stevenson Risk Bites — Glenn Suter

She Space: A multi-disciplinary, project-based learning program for high school girls

Previous research investigating the under-representation of women in science and technology fields has identified various causes. These include, a lack of inspiring female role-models, limited exposure of girls to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, gender-biased stereotypes, and preferences for different learning styles between genders. Dedicated to the ideas of women and space, the “She Space” research project for high school girls was a joint effort of the Earth and Planetary Image Facility (EPIF) at Ben-Gurion University in the Negev and Beit Yatziv. The participants included 20 high-school aged female students and a predominantly female staff of up to eight university researchers and advanced degree students. The goal of this project was to advance and support female students engaging with various scientific fields and, in particular, the field of space science. The project emphasized the quality and development of the research process and used project-based learning to help participants learn to use a research-based approach when encountering challenging scientific concepts or subjects. This, together with active learning and teamwork was set as the educational framework to meet the different learning styles and motivational needs of girls. Furthermore, special attention was given to the suppression of gender stereotypes by 1) introducing women role models 2) overcoming self-induced prejudices related to STEM abilities by introducing new and unknown subjects (remote sensing), about which participants lack preconceptions. Using participant surveys, we found that self-reported confidence with and interest in STEM subjects increased after the project. We also found that participants’ feelings about participating in an all-female program did not noticeably change after the program. However, the vast majority (87%) of participants did report that having a majority female staff was very important to them.