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2Book of Absracts. "WOMEN IN STEM" International Forum, Tashkent, February 13 - 15, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10643244
WOMEN IN STEM
DOC/PHD Tkach Viktoriia, Aspirant Molodan Marina Odessa Technologic National University, Ukraine Corresponding email: vitiiukr. net https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10849566 Currently, the level of women's employment in the STEM field remains low - in the USA, as in Ukraine, they make up only 25% of workers, in the UK - 13%. The level of women's representation in leadership positions is even lower. Why do such disparities exist? According to girlswhocode.org, 74% of high school girls are interested in engineering, science and math. But only 0.3% choose computer science as a major when they get to college. A 2017 Microsoft survey in Europe found that girls are interested in STEM at age 11, but then lose that interest at age 15.
The level of popularity among girls in STEM fields in higher education is extremely low: on average, there are 29.5% of girls among all students studying in STEM fields. Employment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields overall has grown 79% since 1990, from 9.7 million to 17.3 million (Pew Research Center), but the share of women has declined: in 1990, 32% of workers were computer workers. professions were women; today the proportion of women has dropped to 25%. Reasons for girls' low interest in STEM education. There are not enough examples of successful women in STEM careers; insufficient level of incentives for teachers to study STEM disciplines; little opportunity to gain practical experience; the existence of certain stereotypes regarding the role functions of women in the family, etc. Among those enrolled in institutions of higher education are graduates and school leavers. In 2023, there are almost the same number of girls and boys. However, there are much fewer full-time girls enrolled in so-called STEM majors (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) than boys. Among those enrolled in universities for mathematics-intensive majors in 2023, on average, only every fourth girl. Overall, only 23% of girls enrolled in universities enrolled in STEM majors, with almost 13% of those 23% enrolled in medical majors.
