Primary Theme: Education & Human Development

Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields in the United States. The gender gap in STEM fields exists at all levels, from childhood through career selection, and there are many causes for female underrepresentation found in recent research on the topic. Two major causes are students’ math identity—their beliefs, attitudes and emotions about math—and societal views around gender as it relates to fields of study. Because many people see math as a “masculine” subject, women and girls tend to feel they must overachieve in the field to be competitive, or even comparable, with their male counterparts. Additionally, the pervasive stereotype that STEM fields are “for men” can have a negative impact even on those who actively reject the stereotype.