Since I decided I would major in physics when I was 9, I’ve been a minority. At an extreme, I’ve been the only woman in an engineering class of over 50 students. And that’s OK with me. It's a fact that there are fewer women than men studying and working in science (and engineering). According to the Economics and Statistics Administration, less than 25 percent of people with STEM jobs are female. In academia, the statistics are about the same, with the percentage decreasing as rank increases. It is commonly agreed that things need to change.
I disagree. If there are any barriers to entering the STEM fields left to women, they are small enough that any woman with a healthy dose of passion can easily overcome them.
I find it really funny when people ask me something like, "As a woman, what made you decide to do science?" Like they're trying to see if all the social engineering done in attempt to get girls in the field has worked on me. Well, as a kid, I played with barbies far more than I played with legos. I spent plenty of time dressing up and pretending to be a princess. But I also read everything I could get my hands on. What made me discover my passion for science was science fiction books. No nifty toy guided me to it, no special summer camp introduced me, no famous woman inspired me.
Speaking of inspiration, many commentators pin the lack of women in STEM on the “lack of female role models.” I think this is total baloney. If you were to ask me any other women who we admire in science and technology, we would probably list mostly men. I don’t think this is a problem. My biggest hero currently alive is Elon Musk, and I’ve yet to learn any reason why I shouldn’t be able to follow in his footsteps. I simply don’t see why women need role models who are of the same gender as them. The point of a role model is that they are good at what they do and inspire you to do the same, not that they match your identities to a tee.
The essence of what I’m saying is that we shouldn't bother exerting so much effort trying to manipulate and convince girls to become scientists and engineers. The only way you can really be successful at something is when you have a passion for it, and perhaps it is just a fact that fewer women have a passion for science than men. Many women asked cite insecurity or imposter syndrome as their reason for leaving the field. In my experience, those two things aren’t just limited to women. Over the course of my quantum mechanics class alone I’ve heard many students, men and women alike, mutter “I don’t understand anything” while struggling with a particularly gnarly problem set. Frankly, if you are the kind of person who is not comfortable with feeling stupid sometimes, you don’t belong in science.
Another thing I hear occasionally which bothers me to no end is people saying "It's so great that you've decided to do science. We need more scientists, especially women." Like I made my career choice based on what society "needs." If my passion were something else, that's what I would do, regardless of job outlook, potential pay, etc., least of all the “needs” of society, particularly as they relate to my gender. I'm a woman. I will be an engineer. Those two attributes are independent of each other.
Why don't we quit fretting about who is doing science or creating technology and start discussing what is actually being discovered and created?
