The road to achieving equal representation for women in STEM fields has been slow, and it certainly hasn’t been easy going. Even though we’ve seen massive improvements in the business world over recent years, the battle is far from being won.
We can trace the growth of women filling business roles back to education. For example, data shows that women now represent 44.3% of all students in undergraduate programs. They also fill 40.4% of spaces in MBA programs, and 41.3% of doctoral programs. Through this analysis, we can assume that women are becoming more interested in entrepreneurship and willing to take more risks to start their career.
The success of female entrepreneurs is evidenced by the fact that among winning teams, more than half have had at least one female founder, and one in three teams have had a female CEO. This data provides a hopeful picture that women are recognizing their worth and realizing that they can find success just as easily as men.
This newfound confidence is vital to business growth. Women don’t have to wait around and hope that a superior takes notice of their talents. Instead, they are empowered to leverage their skills and open their own doors through entrepreneurial initiative.
As I said before, though, we are far from closing the gender gap in business leadership. We still have a long way to go to champion the importance of women in STEM fields. If we truly want to break down all barriers, we will need to address these lingering disparities.
The Gap in Leadership Roles
While more women pursuing business education is a step in the right direction, they still only account for 18% of students in theory-focused entrepreneurship studies. In addition to that disheartening statistic, only one in five participants performing in college venture competitions were reported as being female.
Only 20% of engineering degrees go to women. That’s still better than the representation within the workforce, though; just 13% of the workforce are women.
Here we’re offered two different takes on the situation that are seemingly contradictory. On the one hand, more women are venturing into the business world. On the other hand, we see that equal representation in STEM education is sorely lacking.
The tech field is competitive and fast moving, and if women continue to avoid STEM-focused training, we could be stuck on a skewed playing field.
So, what can be done about it? The solution lies in continuing to push for more educational and corporate initiatives that help promote the advancement of women in business and technology.
Push STEM & Business Leadership at a Young Age
I’ve always been a firm believer in educating girls from a young age. To do this, though, it will require extensive cooperation from educators and the private sector.
Universities, for example, can play their part by working alongside middle and high school educators to nurture an interest in STEM fields. They can also help by providing additional opportunities and promoting an interest in technology and innovation among young women. By doing so, they’ll play a larger role in creating a whole new generation of female tech leaders.
Young girls need to see their female role models and mentors driving for change and exceling in STEM fields. This is what will help break down the societal norms that previously would have prevented them from exploring such interests. A positive chain reaction will follow, where equal representation in all levels of business and entrepreneurship can be achieved.
Though far from a comprehensive solution, education is a strong starting point. As we noted earlier, we’re much closer than ever to achieving parity in STEM education. We need to continue nurturing that mindset which is the foundation that will motivate individuals to explore more opportunities.
I’ve seen many girls and young women experience the consequences of a lack of confidence when it comes to tech. Since they’re not traditionally encouraged to pursue these fields, the idea that tech business is just not for them is reinforced.
Entrepreneurial education, competitions, and other opportunities to develop these skills are essential. This is an issue that affects us all, and one that we can’t ignore. We must normalize the idea of women in roles of business and tech leadership. Through inclusivity in education, I guarantee that we’ll see stronger teams, organizations, and leaders across the board.
