Women’s roles in society have changed dramatically over the 20th and 21st centuries as women become more involved in traditionally male-dominated fields. The STEM professions, which include science, technology, engineering and math, are more open than ever to women. Studies show, however, that women still lag behind men in representation in these fields.
From the WISE program (Women in Science Education) to the women’s and gender studies course Women and Gender in Science Technology, encouragement of women’s participation in these fields can be seen throughout the University curriculum. While some students and faculty believe women are well represented in the STEM fields, others believe society is still not up to par.
Elizabeth Davis, a junior in accounting, said she thinks women are sometimes left out in the technology industry and that men are more interested in the field.
“In general, men are more interested. The field of technology is men-driven and it may deter many females from pursuing a career in that field,” Davis said.
Remembering that the University holds a large interest in the fields of science and math, the percentages of male and female students in these fields has shown to be widely disproportional. Shannon Johnson, director of the Women’s Center, cited fall 2008 enrollment statistics.
“Our College of Engineering has the smallest percentage of female students, only 16.6 percent. The next largest, the College of Natural Resources, is 28.6 percent based off fall 2008 data,” Johnson said. “The College of Engineering is the largest academic college at N.C. State, but it only has 16.6 percent women.”
Johnson continued by pointing out that not only student numbers show a difference, but faculty representation does as well.
“The percentage of women faculty overall is 36.6 percent but for engineering faculty 12.5 percent are women. It’s definitely an area that inequality still exists,” Johnson said.
Shanna Hayes, a sophomore in biomedical engineering, said she has noticed there are fewer percentages of women in her classes than men.
“There’s a stereotype in society that little girls don’t need to be in the engineering field. They’re just not being exposed to the engineering aspects of the world,” Hayes said.
Davis said many of the University classes show an unbalanced ratio of men to women.
“I’ve heard that most of the classes, specifically the engineering classes, are male-dominated,” Davis said.
Hayes mentioned she learned in her psychology class that studies have shown women and men perform the same in math and science, yet she said society seems to project the opposite idea.
“It’s sort of a catch 22 because society thinks women aren’t interested in the field and they are not presenting opportunities to them in school,” Hayes said. “They don’t have the exposure to it. I think there are not as many women trying to get in the engineering fields as men.”
B. Jasmine Adams, director of undergraduate advising in the department of computer science, said women are becoming increasingly more represented in the technology industry and are making great strides in the technology industry.
“I think they are fully represented to the extent that they are majoring in these careers,” Adams said. “What can the academia do to attract more women to technology-related majors? That’s the real question.”
Evan McConnell, a junior in mechanical engineering, said the reason there are fewer women in technological areas of work and study is because of a lack of interest and a large male population.
“I think there are plenty of opportunities for women to advance in the field. They’re in the minority,” McConnell said, “but I don’t think there’s anything holding them back from reaching those majors.”
McConnell also believes there will be more of a balance in the future between men and women in the technology industry.
“I think eventually down the line you’ll see more balance. It will become more accepted and more common,” McConnell said. According to Davis, the issue is quite relevant in today’s society and it is an issue that should be addressed.
“It is an issue in society — women have made great advancements in technology. I think that having an equal balance in the workforce is important,” Davis said. Johnson said there are programs on campus, such as WISE, whose intention is to work on retention of females in science. “When they come in,” Johnson said, “keep them in.”
