Stem; a common noun that is defined by the dictionary as the main body or stalk of a plant that acts as the supporting section. Depending on where you position the word contextually, the word can give rise to collateral definitions. STEM as an acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. While the two concepts are wildly different from each other in what they mean, they do share common grounds when it comes to acting as the backbone of what they are a part of. A stem of a plant holds the plant together whereas STEM as education is partially the backbone of our society in terms of innovations, progress and evolution. But what if the full potential of STEM is being gate-kept by a hegemonic power that denies diversity?
Is the STEM field merely paying lip service to the concept of ‘unity in diversity’?
The absence of gender and racial diversity in the field of STEM has been written, read and analysed for nearly five decades. Despite such extensive reporting that raises awareness about the discrepancies, in the US alone, the number of students from certain ethnic and racial groups-including Latinx, Indigenous, and Black/African-American, that secure a bachelor’s degree in the STEM fields is shockingly low when placed against their representation in the general population of the US. According to a research paper compiled by Olivia Palid et al., titled “Inclusion in practice: a systematic review of diversity-focused STEM programming in the United States”, Black and Latinx students pursuing STEM subjects opt for different majors more frequently compared to White STEM students. In terms of gender, women earn nearly as many science degrees as men overall, however, their representation in ‘hard science’ fields like computer science and engineering remains stagnated at low levels. Historically, Black and Latinx individuals and women have faced significant underrepresentation in STEM careers, particularly in high-earning STEM fields such as technology, computer science and engineering.
Adding to the unending string of issues is the unfair wage gap that is in place based on race/ethnicity and gender more so in STEM, as compared to non-STEM. Even more disadvantaged than men of colour are women of colour who often experience the intersection of racial and gender biases at the same time. The Pew Research Center suggests that despite longstanding efforts to promote diversity in STEM, current trends in STEM degree attainment do not appear likely to significantly reduce these disparities.
While these statistics reflect the state of the US, things are not very different in countries like the UK and globally as well. Nadeem Ahmad, founder and managing director of Templeton and Partners in an article titled “Essentiality of diversity in STEM education” explains how Templeton’s latest Hiring Diversity Report reveals that even though 68% of technology executives are making efforts to attract diverse talent, a substantial 25% of companies are not dedicating resources to any Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives. Among the companies investing in such initiatives, the majority are not witnessing a positive return on investment. To make matters worse, while approximately one-third (35%) of companies are making efforts to hire more women, half of that percentage are still facing significant challenges when it comes to recruiting female STEM professionals.
Where is the leak?
Much has been done to increase diversity in STEM. There have been frameworks introduced to make the inclusion of women and people of colour mandatory and programmes have been initiated to bring the numbers of discrimination down. Even despite such efforts, in 2023, the gender disparity within STEM fields remains substantial, with women representing just 28% of the STEM workforce. When we examine international data in search of more optimistic trends, the statistics paint a concerning picture. Specifically, the representation of women in STEM is at 24% in the United States, 17% in the European Union, 16% in Japan, and 14% in India. This is mainly because while most strategies that are in place look good on the surface, in reality, they have one too many loopholes.
It is clear as the day that coercing representation or trying to drive the numbers up is not the solution. In fact, it is only the tip of the iceberg. For an extended period, the emphasis has been on encouraging girls, especially girls from diverse backgrounds, to enter the STEM field. However, there has been insufficient examination of the issues within the system that lead to women, despite their interests and skills, not staying in STEM careers. The question that needs to be asked is ‘why are they leaving?’
The answer to that question varies. It could range from the pervasive existence of stereotypes that cater to men, lack of role models due to prolonged underrepresentation, unconscious biases in hiring, promoting and grant funding that demotivates women and people of colour to work-life imbalance where women may be conditioned to opt out of STEM jobs because they are portrayed as too demanding. All of which are systemic. The biggest problem of all of these, however, is how the pedagogy of STEM education is besieged by a masculine culture. One that ostracises anything and anyone who does not fit into white male privilege. Simply expecting Black, Indigenous, and Latina women and men to conform to existing environments that were not originally designed to accommodate them is an ineffective approach. Instead, we need to establish STEM education environments that foster a sense of inclusion and belonging for everyone.
The world needs STEM. A society bereft of the advances and innovations that STEM brings to the table is akin to a society that existed during the Stone Age. Therefore, strengthening diversity in STEM is a need, not a want. Apart from the need to stop the homogenisation of the STEM field, diversity needs to be enhanced for the simple reason that everyone deserves to succeed in STEM spaces. Irrespective of their geographical, ethnic, gender and racial backgrounds.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)