Oh, don't mind me, looking fierce in a lab coat and all. Credit: Thinkstock
In case this is your first time to our site, let it be known: we love us some ladies in STEM. It's no secret that this field is ultra male-dominated, so we have endless respect for those fierce females down in the testosterone-fueled science and math trenches.
As we've previously discussed, there are ways that we (as a community) can encourage more women in STEM. It's important to start young; let little ladies know that their budding brains could flourish in these fields. And when we consider the statistics, our gender's current lack of representation is appalling, highlighting the importance of these efforts. Think back to your college days. Did you have any lady friends pursuing majors in STEM? I know I did—and it felt like many were—yet, numbers suggest otherwise. Just 5.5% of mechanical engineers are women. Civil engineers? 13.1% ladyfolk. Granted some fields are higher (shout out to the fierce females making up the 45.9% of chemists and material scientists), but think about how many women could excel in these fields, but chose to steer away from them due to lack of encouragement?
If we had it our way, we'd stand on top of a mountain shouting "LADIES LOVE MATH" all day every day but I'm not convinced that even this would be enough. Growing up, my academic interests (writing, reading, recess gossip) were always encouraged. Where would I be if I had been pressured to pursue a different path? Not every woman in interested in STEM, but it's important for those who are that they feel secure in pursuing their passions.
Since our mountaintop screams have yet to occur, we're sharing this short video: "5 Badass Women Who Changed The World Of Science." It's brief enough that you can watch it at work without getting in trouble but long enough to get a clear message across. Ladies have been excelling in these fields for some time, even though many went unacknowledged. Check it out, and share it with, IDK, an army of little girls. Let's get this next generation STEM-ed up!
