Why Are There No Women in STEM?

"How would you encourage young girls/women who may feel hesitant about joining what may still be perceived as a male-dominated industry?"

This was a question someone had asked me a while ago, and it still catches me off guard. Though more women are joining, aerospace is an industry that is over 80% male with only 13.6% of the industry being women as of 2022 - it is a male-dominated industry. Though these numbers are daunting, they don't tell the whole story.

Often I've found that when people ask questions like this they have a few primary misconceptions:

- Women are not interested in STEM fields like aerospace.

- Modern workplaces are fully equitable, and sexism no longer exists.

However, being a minority in your field means you have two jobs: your actual job, and the additional labor of constantly proving yourself, advocating for your value, and fighting against unconscious biases. Meanwhile, those in the majority group only have to perform their role.

When you walk into a room, people will make assumptions about your education, experience, knowledge, and skillset, leading to subtle or overt comments and behaviors. These incidents are often not out of malice or ill intent, but implicit or unconscious biases. UCSF defines unconscious biases as, "social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness." The truth is many of our workplaces are rife with unconscious biases, which affects everyone's ability to have an equitable work experience.

Some people may say that as a woman you, "need to grow a thicker skin," but over time, these instances can add up, creating dissatisfaction in the workplace and stress. It's a death by a thousand paper cuts. Meanwhile, colleagues in the majority group get to continue in their roles relatively unscathed.

So, women are not in industries like aerospace because they aren't interested, but rather because they are faced with a decision, "Do I want to perform these two roles for the rest of my career? Do I like this industry enough to endure being disrespected, belittled, and undermined throughout my career?" For some women, the answer is no - and that's okay. It's not a personal failure, but a failure of the industry as a whole.

The fortunate part is that we aren't doomed, in aerospace, tech, and other industries we have the power to enact change. By building awareness around unconscious biases and cultivating cultures around inclusivity, we can foster environments that are compassionate and equitable for everyone. I’ve seen that when we address these biases head-on and engage in open dialogue, real change can happen. Many companies are now investing in training and leadership development programs to help mitigate these biases, leading to more equitable environments for everyone. However, if we fail to integrate inclusivity into our cultures before diversifying, we risk creating environments that run rampant with discrimination and create low engagement, satisfaction, and retention amongst minority employees. 

If we can get inclusivity right, we have the power to open the door to more perspectives, more conversations, and greater innovation.