Diversity and inclusion in STEM

Although women are more educated than ever, they are still underrepresented in the general labour force and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Prof. Belle Derks and Dr Ruth van Veelen (Social, Health & Organisational Psychology) wrote about the causes of and solutions for this problem for the OECD Forum.

The brain drain of diverse technical talent – of women and ethnic minorities in particular – forms a direct threat to the innovative capacity and sustainable growth of the technical sector². At the same time, jobs in tech are the most available and the best paid in the world³. Therefore, creating more inclusive STEM organisations offers the potential to advance social equality and to improve women's and ethnic minorities' economic independence and status in positions of power and decision-making.

Why gender gaps in STEM continue to exist

Gender stereotypes at different levels of organisations act as a vicious cycle that sustains a narrowly-defined, masculine, male-dominated image of STEM^15,16, which in turn forms a barrier for women's career interest^9,17, choice¹⁸ and persistence in STEM^19,20.  A multi-level approach is needed to debunk gender stereotypes about the culture, the work, and women's ability in STEM and to create a more inclusive image of what it entails to be a STEM professional²¹ and to broaden the scope on what it is like to work in tech.

What are "pitfalls" in current diversity initiatives in STEM?

We identify four pitfalls in current STEM diversity policy and suggest strategies for improvement. One of them is about the strategy of "fixing the women". A majority of gender diversity programs and initiatives are targeted specifically at women, and for women only. Yet indirectly, these programs communicate that women "need help", "need fixing"⁴⁵ or "should become more like men"⁴⁶ to become better STEM professionals. This unintentionally re-confirms the stereotype that "women are just not as competent as men" in STEM and has several other harmful consequences.

Solutions: From surface-level to deep-level diversity & inclusion programmes

From our synthesis of pitfalls and points of improvement it becomes clear that inclusive diversity programs require a systematic, all-inclusive, evidence-based approach targeted at both women and men, targeted at individual careers and organisational cultures, and including both quantitative and qualitative effectiveness measures to which organisations can be held accountable.