Math Goes Pop! - Gender Gap Infographic

Gender Gap Infographic

March 30, 2012

As we head into the final days of March, I'd like to share with you the following infographic sent to me by a reader. It collects some interesting (and depressing) data on women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers.

Created by: Engineering Degree

While I don't necessarily put a lot of stock into the opening IQ numbers (see here and here for examples of problems with IQ testing), and I'm not sure if the data on course load in the first part is statistically significant, the data in the latter parts is quite compelling. I've discussed the psychological component of the gender gap before, but the data in the second section of this infographic provides more evidence to the claim that psychology and cultural influences, rather than biology, is behind the gender gap we see in the sciences.

Of course, anytime someone with the aptitude is dissuaded from pursuing a technical career, it is unfortunate. When a large number of people with the aptitude don't pursue technical careers, we lose out on opportunities to innovate and discover. I'm no expert on what steps can be taken to try and close the gap, but if readers have any thoughts on the data or what should be done in response to it, feel free to sound off below.

(Thanks to Jen for sharing the graphic with me.)

Psst ... did you know I have a brand new website full of interactive stories? You can check it out here!