By Nadia Paschal
For several years, there’s been efforts to get women into science, technology, engineering and math careers — commonly known as STEM. Despite this push to create more welcoming environments for women within these professions, there still seems to be a large stigma against them.
The first university in the United States to open its doors to women was Oberlin College in Ohio in 1837. For a long time, women had few options for studies, and often were pushed towards fields such as nursing and education.
The realm of higher education has drastically changed for women, as women currently make up about 57% of the undergraduate population across the United States, according to the Women’s College Coalition.
Despite the progress that has been made, women in STEM programs still face certain challenges and assumptions made by their male counterparts.
Kayla Algae, a junior computer science major at SUNY Plattsburgh, said that she has faced some of those challenges being in an “extremely” male-dominated field.
“Every female computer scientist I’ve met in Plattsburgh has been kind of on their own journey,” Algae said.
Algae also said that she has been in a class with only one other woman, and that there is a clear divide between them and their male classmates.
“There’s not a lot of interaction at all going on. It seems purposely done that way,” Algae said.
Whenever Algae or other female classmates had questions, the male students were usually dismissive, she said. Other times they would be condescending towards them despite being in the same courses at the same level.
Algae is nervous about graduating in 2025 and entering the professional field, as the unfair treatment will most likely be amplified. In fact, around half of the women in the tech force leave the industry by the time they’re 35, as reported by Accenture, a global services company.
Women make up only approximately a quarter of computer-based careers, according to the American Association of University Women. There are multiple reasons for this, including a lack of role models despite the push for more women in STEM, gender stereotypes and unwelcoming male centered workplaces.
Another explanation put forth by the American Association of University Women was that this kind of environment is fostered in early education, as some teachers grade girls harsher than they would the boys. This can cause what is known as math anxiety.
The wage gap in STEM fields is noticeably different as well. In entry level positions alone, men earn around $4,000 more than women, according to the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
It’s disheartening to see and hear about the unfair treatment and prejudices against women in these fields, but Algae said that continuing to advertise to women that there’s a place for them in that community will possibly lead to a more equal balance.
