NSERC summit focuses on increasing women's participation in science, engineering

On Tuesday, NSERC hosted a summit that brought leaders from academia and the private sector together with policy makers and students to identify best practices and develop innovative solutions for attracting and retaining women to careers in science and engineering. A report presented at the summit summarizes reasons for the under-representation of women in science and engineering, including stereotypes, women's lower level of self-confidence in math, girls' lack of academic preparation for a science major or career, girl's poor attitude toward science, and lack of social encouragement to pursue these fields. Possible measures identified to increase the number of women enrolled in science and engineering include mentoring programs, positive role models, exposure to professional engineering experiences, adding more women to engineering faculties, and providing a better understanding of what engineers do. NSERC Events | Read the report