Women's Studies Commons^™

Female Underrepresentation In Stem, Erin Cygan

Audre Lorde Writing Prize

This paper examines the potential factors contributing to female under-representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Several societal norms and beliefs that have resulted in ingrained sexist and misogynistic practices are discussed in order to assess why women abandon STEM at various life, education, and career stages. Following this evaluation, the author provides potential solutions to encourage girls and women to pursue and remain in STEM.