Article
How to break barriers for women in STEM, tech, and trades
Women in STEM share tips to improving inclusion, gender representation, and organizational culture change.
- Career equity
- Inclusive workplaces
- Pay gap and transparency
- Techquity
About International Day of Women and Girls in science
On February 11, the United Nations celebrates the many achievements of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and also draws attention to the STEM gender gap that persists in most countries. This gap begins in education, fueled by gender stereotypes and expectations regarding “women’s work.”
How to break barriers
Women make up less than 30% of Canada’s STEM workforce. To achieve competitive innovation, STEM workplaces must increase gender representation and drive industry-wide culture change by reducing bias in hiring practices, creating sponsorship and mentorship programs, and training leaders to be inclusive.
The gender gap is more evident in STEM
17%
of managers in the information technology industry globally are women.
16%
of engineers in the US are women.
Effects of STEM gender bias
Systems of bias that keep women from careers in STEM can also influence the products and services created by organizations, such as artificial intelligence. Women receive smaller research grants than men, are published less in high-profile journals, and are promoted less.
