As I continue to conduct research for my project, I am starting to see a lot of patterns.
1) The mentality that "engineering is for boys" starts at a very young age
2) Females are being encouraged in all facets of life. The various campaigns geared towards building females up and encouraging them is giving all types of females more confidence and more boldness to pursue a variety of degrees, including engineering.
3) Universities all across the country are making it a top priority to not only recruit females for their engineering programs but to retain them once they enroll. There are a variety of programs and initiatives geared towards helping females get all the way through college and into the workforce.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, women in today’s society are constantly being given the resources to not only expand their knowledge but to increase their confidence. Starting now at a young age, girls are being taught to love themselves for who they are and the things that they like to do. For example, Microsoft recently released a commercial titled "Girls Do Science" in which little girls begin describing some of the things they have made but then they question if it is socially acceptable. One girl even mentions that most of the scientists that students learn about are male, so science is something that the boys are supposed to do. However, the commercial takes it beyond opinion and draws in the fact that "only 2 out of 10 girls will go on to pursue science." This sad fact is because young girls are taught that science is for boys by the ratio they see of females to males on the television, in their classes, and from their surroundings. As mentioned with the Goldie Blox toys, this is a mentality that society is trying to correct. This is one of the largest factors contributing to the rise in the percentage of females in the field. It is commercials such as Microsoft's that are attempting to counter the traditional expectations for females.
However, I believe that the women should be able to enter this field without the burden of feeling out of place. Currently, the average percentage of females in engineering programs at the university level is just shy of 20%... so even with more entering the field, we still stand in the minority. I think this causes females to transfer out and to leave the field. However, I will discuss how universities are also correcting this mentality in a future blog post.
In conclusion, I believe that the key towards bringing more females into the industry is by catching them at a young age. In order for them to truly succeed at the highest levels, I believe that they need to know that they actually can do what it takes and that it is acceptable for them to be 1 of the 2 in every 10 girls that wishes to use their creativity in a way that shapes and transforms the world.
Click here to watch the commercial discussed above.
I really love this post because it shows how important it is to teach girls they can do anything they want at a young age! It's really interesting (and unfortunate) that many women leave because they are outnumbered, even though I'm sure they're highly qualified. Do you think this is an issue that can be solved with the support of men in engineering fields as well, or should the current focus be on females sticking together?
ReplyDeleteHi Avani! I think it really is such an important issue to show young kids, both boys and girls, that their future is defined by no one but themselves. They really can do whatever they put their mind to!
DeleteIn response to your question, I really believe that the only way these problems will be if both males and females recognize this issue. Even if the females stick together it won't be enough to overcome the adversity they face unless people recognize that it is an issue. However, I am not saying that males should cater to females or adjust their pursuit of engineering. All I am arguing is that the males incorporate females into the field the same way they would any other peer.