Byte-Sized Brief

• Women in STEM rose 31 percent from 2011-2021.
• The STEM workforce is still only about 35 percent women.
• Early, consistent exposure and mentorship can change that.
  

According to research by the National Science Foundation, the number of women in STEM fields increased by 31 percent between 2011 and 2021, but that number is far from parity. In the grand scheme of things, women account for only about 35 percent of the STEM workforce. The figure's disheartening, but what can we actually do to move the needle?

VocoVision, an educational teleservice platform, says that change hinges on a few crucial areas: early and frequent hands-on experiences, exposure to notable women in STEM, promoting growth, a problem-solving mindset, and access to learning resources like Girls Who Code or science camps. Combined, these shows of support are crucial in empowering young girls and women to envision their futures as STEM leaders as more than an uphill battle. How we support them today could define who leads tomorrow.

The Bottom Line

Increasing the representation of women in STEM is something each of us can play a small role in by supporting consistent modeling, bias-breaking, and access to learning resources.