History of Women in STEM, Science Moms, and More!

History of Women in STEM

Women contributed to building the field of computer programming. In fact, in the 1960s, women specifically were thought to have the kind of mind needed to be a good computer programmer. But now fewer than 20% of people graduating with computer science degrees are women. Check out this New York Times article to learn more about why the gender disparity in computer programming has worsened over the last several decades.

Some of these female programmers of the 1960s/1970s went on to make important contributions to genetics research--but were not acknowledged as authors of the published work. This article shows how women have always been contributing to science -- you might just have to look at the footnotes rather than the authors to find them!

Losing Moms in STEM

A new report (summarized here) indicates that 40% of full time women working in science leave their jobs after having a child. This is compared to only 23% of men. It's suspected that this could be due to the fact that STEM professionals, especially women, are not expected to have a personal life, making it harder for parents to make enough time for their children while maintaining their work responsibilities.

Opportunities

HBO is looking for women's stories! Read more and find out how to submit yours here.

Check out the American Association of Women in Science Annual Summit and Awards Dinner, to be held in Washington DC in April.