Why we need more women in STEM?

By GT LIM
editor@dagangnews.com

Anika Chebrolu, a 14-year-old girl from Frisco, Texas wowed the world when she discovered a molecule that can selectively bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus. Binding and inhibiting this viral protein would potentially stop the virus entry into the cell, creating a viable drug target. Her invention clinched the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge and brought us a step closer to developing a novel antiviral drug.

Since her childhood, Anika has always been amazed by science experiments and more recently, she was driven to find an effective cure for Influenza disease after suffering from a severe infection last year. Her curiosity and tenacity to make the world a better place is a testament to the contribution of young women to the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Yet unfortunately, women still make up the minority within the world of STEM.

This is an imbalance that must come to an end.

Gender Gap in STEM

The STEM fields are vital in the development of world-changing innovations. However, less than 30% of researchers are women, and this is true in almost every region in the world. According to statistics by the World Economic Forum, only 3% of students pursuing information and communication technology (ICT) courses across the globe are women. That number increases slightly to 5% for mathematics and statistics courses and peaks at 8% for engineering, manufacturing, and construction courses.

STEM jobs are fast-growing in the job market, creating a global demand for jobs within this field. This demand, however, has not been met sufficiently. If this trend continues, it will cause a workforce shortage within STEM that would inhibit the growth of scientific innovations. The world as it is today cannot afford a shortfall in scientific innovation. As we enter the age of pandemics with an impending climate crisis and a myriad of other humanitarian issues at hand, we need all hands on deck to solve these problems.

We need women because they bring a much-needed unique perspective to research that is currently lacking given the status-quo of male domination of the STEM field. A woman in research pursues different angles, asks different questions, and ultimately leads to discoveries that enrich our understanding of the world around us. According to a study by Elsevier, diversity not only adds to collective intelligence but also enhances creativity and provides new contexts to understand the societal caveats of research.

Suffice to say, when we fail to consider gender equality in research, we are essentially limiting the potential of that scientific discovery. As such, any foray into STEM which discounts gender equality is at risk of producing compromised research, which is detrimental for both men and women all around the world. Science should lead to the betterment of humanity – not be divisive.

At 3M, this is a very palpable reality that we deal with daily. Using science to innovate with purpose, we aim to improve the lives of the people around the world and it always starts on the inside. Diversity and inclusion are vital as it brings a wide array of perspectives, abilities, and experiences in a place where employees feel safe to engage and participate. Game-changing innovations require vision, imagination, and the ability to see what doesn’t exist today. If we continue to accept gender inequality, we are simply limiting ourselves from reaching our full potential.

Women make up half the global population which is half of humanity’s combined intelligence. Therefore, we need to empower young girls who have an interest in STEM to pursue their interest in the field so we can build up the talent pipeline and move forward in the name of science.

An inclusive STEM field will be a crucial step towards advancing women’s equality. According to research by McKinsey Global Institute, advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth by 2025. Gone are the days where young girls are taught that their value to this world is limited to tending the household.

A recent study on mathematics aptitude which was published in Nature Partner Journals concluded that across all analyses, girls and boys showed significant gender similarities in neural functioning. This debunks stereotypes that have been entrenched in our culture and education.

Increasing women participation in STEM

“We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” The words of Marie Curie, the first female Nobel laureate and the only person to win the coveted scientific accolade in two scientific fields rings true here.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced women’s equality issues to the backburner as work-from-home measures have confined some women back to their primary caregiving role for their families. As a result, during this pandemic, women have lost more jobs than men. According to a recent study by McKinsey, one in three mothers are considering leaving their jobs or scaling back their workload – the first time in six years that such research has found significant differences in “interest in quitting” between genders.

What can we do to change this status quo of inequality in STEM?

At 3M, we have tackled this issue through our FlexAbility work culture which emphasizes work and personal life balance. Here, we offer a simple and straightforward employee-centric work schedule that is decided between a 3Mer and their supervisor for a flexible schedule that maximizes professional and personal productivity. Employees get to decide when and where they work best.

We also take pride in being an equal opportunity employer and recognize the importance of offering a respectful work environment. Our employees work in an engaging and collaborative environment where everyone, regardless of gender, race, or background is encouraged to share their ideas. By being dedicated to all our employees and their innovative achievements, we create boundless opportunities for them to thrive. To this point, 53% of the women at 3M Malaysia are in supervisory positions.

We are proud to have icons within our fold like, Dr. Jayshree Seth, Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate at 3M. She was recently accorded the WE20 Achievement Award, the highest accolade given by the Society of Women Engineers to an individual who has made significant and progressive technical contributions to the STEM community.

Closer to home in Malaysia, the Head of the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Malaya’s Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Chan Yoke Fun is making Malaysians proud. Dr. Chan focused her research on developing a vaccine to combat a virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease, and brain infection diseases in children. Her outstanding work recently earned her the coveted ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women 2020.

Scientific exploration and the scientific process teaches young people an important mindset – that skills and abilities can be developed over time through perseverance and learning from things that go wrong. It is vital that we impart such values to young girls and build their confidence from an early age so that they can compete on a level playing field.

This mindset helps an individual inside and outside the classroom. It creates resilience and a passion for learning that is essential to conquering challenges in life.

The history of science has been dominated by an intrinsic male bias which is reflective of the structural issues that need to be dealt with in STEM. In addressing this, I hope for a future where women all over the world are given equal opportunities, are equally celebrated for their talents and their role in society is not confined to the shackles of traditional gender norms.

Let us work towards creating a whole new generation of confident and empowered female scientists and engineers that can ride the waves of innovation forward and spur humanity to greater heights. - DagangNews.com

The writer is the Country Leader for 3M Malaysia, where he helps drive employee engagement and advocacy to protect and advance 3M’s Brand and Reputation.