Men who work in technological areas earn salaries 40% higher than women

Santo Domingo, DR.
One of the leading gender gaps that continue to be evidenced is the education with practices in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) since it is estimated that equality indicators do not work well for disciplines and careers related to these areas.

A large part of this problem is the inherent perception that mathematics and science are activities occupied only by men.

In the case of the Dominican Republic, according to figures provided by the National Statistics Office (ONE), only 39% of positions in this area are held by women.

In addition to the above, society, conflict or emergencies in the sector, the lack of educational and digital tools, and the family perspective, are the significant constraints for the female population to avoid STEM education.

Stereotypes related to gender skills are perspectives that harm the outlook on equality at the time of choosing a career focused on these practices:

“Girls and women believe that these are complex areas and only for men, distancing them from their reality and limiting them to see how implementing technologies, engineering, science and mathematics, can change their lives and the development of a population entering the digital world,” highlighted the Research and Strengthening manager in the STEM movement, Laura Segura, from the STEAM Miami 2022 Symposium at BIU University.

This is how diverse stereotypes surround women in all spheres of life, including the family since it is from there that the interests and skills that girls will have for the educational formation of their future start. However, no support is being created for them to feel interested in these areas.

Surveys by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have shown that girls lack the same self-confidence as boys in science and mathematics. Furthermore, new analyses reveal significant differences in parental incentives that exacerbate the problem.

Encouraging girls is not enough.
Now, it’s not enough to encourage girls to enter the world of STEM; they also need to feel appropriately positioned to know that they are valued within their roles.

“The gender gap in STEM jobs goes back to an unbalanced percentage, as it is crucial to encourage younger generations, especially women, to pursue their interest in the field of technologies to achieve equality and competitiveness in organizations,” Laura Segura interjected.

According to a survey developed in 2021 by the International Statistical Institute (ISI), 8 of the top 10 highest-paying jobs are in STEM careers. However, women are not joining this type of career due to a lack of knowledge, stereotypes, and motivation.

Even though STEM occupations have a reportedly high income and strong demand on the pay scale, women who obtain careers in these areas and enter the workforce face significant barriers to success; not to mention that the female population consistently earns less than men in these professions: According to the 2020 Pew Research Center, men working in STEM earn 40% higher wages than women.