Dive Brief:
- Analyzing data from the Census Bureau's 2017 American Community Survey, Typing.com found that no state had more women than men who hold a degree in a STEM subject. It also found that no state had more women than men working in STEM fields.
- Of U.S. states and districts, Washington, D.C. had the narrowest gap between men and women with a STEM degree, with only a 6.8% difference. The closest behind D.C. was New York, with a 12.9% gap. New Mexico had the largest gap at 22.5%. Montana was a close second at 22.3%.
- The analysis of people working in STEM fields found D.C. again had the smallest gap between men and women working in these industries, at 13.8%. The nearest state, with nearly triple D.C.'s rate, was Maryland at 38%. The state with the largest gap between men and women working in STEM was Rhode Island with a 62.8% difference.
Dive Insight:
Gender parity will not occur within the STEM field without intentional intervention, according to research published in the American Institute of Physics. Some organizations appear to have heeded this call to action or come to a similar conclusion themselves. The Flatiron School and SeatGeek, for example, partnered to give away up to $200,000 in scholarships to women who apply to their 50/50 scholarship program, the school announced in March.
As employers, educational institutions and other organizations strive to correct the imbalance of men and women in STEM industries, it's worth noting that the effort at inclusion cannot end at representation for women to thrive. After all, more women than men said they feel hostility in their STEM professions, according to a Pew Social Trends survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2017.
