AAUW report finds that gender biases, poor management push women away from STEM careers

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has published a new report on the gender gap in STEM occupations. The report notes that just 12% of engineers are women, and that the number of women in computing has dropped from 35% in 1990 to 26% today. Part of the problem, the report argues, is gender bias: one study found that science faculty were more likely to choose a male candidate than an identical female candidate for a job in a lab; moreover, both male and female scientists offered male candidates higher salaries and were more willing to offer men mentoring opportunities. Another study showed that employers underestimated the mathematical abilities of women, and would hire a lower-performing male candidate for math-oriented positions. The report suggests that women who left STEM fields were less likely to have had opportunities for training and development, had less support from co-workers and supervisors, and had less support for balancing work and non-work roles than women who stayed in the field. AAUW News Release | AAUW Summary