What is the future for women in STEM?
Companies and organizations have begun seriously preparing for the future of women in STEM through outreach programs targeting talented young women
While women have often taken on the role of innovator throughout history, their career presence in the fields most commonly associated with new innovations -- science, technology, engineering, and mathematics -- remains disproportionate. Only 13% of all American engineers are women, and women who do work in STEM fields often make significantly less than their male counterparts.
These disparities don't sit well with an evolving culture that's centered around the value of a diverse workforce. For this reason, companies and organizations have begun seriously preparing for a female-led future of STEM through outreach programs targeting talented young women.
Worth a read: Careers in STEM- What Holds Women Back
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, the brainchild of the National Society for Professional Engineers, takes place this February 25. The global campaign's aim is for volunteers, educators, and STEM professionals to lead educational engineering-based activities which help to facilitate interest in STEM and boost problem-solving skills.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many activities for this year's Girl Day will be taking place on the event's website. There, young women can gather virtually and participate in the educational fun.
Future female engineers are in good company with the wise women who've come before them, including:
Nora Stanton Barney: The granddaughter of suffragette icon Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she was the first female engineering graduate of Cornell University and the first woman to become a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Hedy Lamarr: Though best known as an Austrian-born actress of stage and screen, Lamarr was also a talented engineer; the frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology she developed during WWII is the basis for the Wi-Fi we use today.
Beulah Louise Henry: Often remembered as America's leading female inventor, she created 49 patents and 110 inventions intended to make daily home life easier. She was an employed inventor and consultant as well as the founder of two manufacturing companies.
Ready to meet even more female engineers? Take a look at this visualization from We The Parents.
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