The underrepresentation of women in STEM: Do stereotypes play a role?

摘要

As a global community, we are still grappling with the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields. As a woman working in the field of optics, it is a subject which is very close to home for me, and one to which I have dedicated a fair amount of thought. To me, any discussion on women in STEM is incomplete without a careful consideration of the way in which women are often stereotyped. Stereotypes vary widely across cultures, but the idea that women are less capable than men in technical areas is fairly pervasive, and one which needs to be a part of the conversation about women in STEM.