STEM careers are those in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Historically, these are areas that have seen far more male workers than female workers, though the workplace in 2019 is certainly supposed to offer equal opportunities to all workers, regardless of gender.
Unfortunately, it appears that is certainly not happening. According to reports, a staggering 50% of women in these fields have experienced discrimination on the job. They do not see equal treatment when compared to their male counterparts.
That’s a higher percentage than the overall average from the same study. It found that women who work in other fields, with non-STEM jobs, saw discrimination about 41% of the time. While that’s still far too high, it is notably less than STEM jobs.
One expert who has studied the issue and seen it firsthand said that she thought women often felt like they needed to prove themselves to their colleagues. She said they also would get “cornered about how they look” and that they worried about not being the norm in the STEM industry. She said the key was to create workplace environments where female workers could thrive just like male workers, something that often does not exist.
This study makes it very clear that gender-based discrimination is still very common, both in STEM and non-STEM professions, even in 2019. Those who face this type of discrimination in pay, hours, promotions, and the like need to know all of the legal options they have. Remember, all workers have the same rights and need to be treated fairly, regardless of gender, age, race and similar traits.