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Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines: A Multiple Factor Problem
Carmen Botella1, Silvia Rueda1, Emilia López-Iñesta2
1School of Engineering (ETSE-UV), Universitat de València, Av. De l'Universitat s/n, 46100 Valencia, Spain.
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 3, 2020
Summary
A program at the School of Engineering at the University of Valencia (ETSE-UV) successfully increased female student enrollment and graduation rates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The initiative focused on support, networking, leadership, and role models to address gender diversity gaps.
Area of Science:
- STEM education
- Gender studies in technology
- Information Theory
Background:
- Gender diversity is a significant challenge in technology and academia.
- Female enrollment in STEM has declined, and women are leaving tech careers at high rates.
- Addressing these issues is crucial for both industry and education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review barriers women face in STEM careers.
- To explore gendered innovation in Information Theory.
- To present and evaluate a program aimed at reducing the gender diversity gap in STEM at ETSE-UV.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of challenges for women in STEM.
- Analysis of gendered innovation in Information Theory.
- Implementation and assessment of a multi-level program (Bachelor, Master, PhD) at ETSE-UV.
- Chi-square test to evaluate the program's impact on female student enrollment.
- Comparative analysis of female graduation rates against national benchmarks.
Main Results:
- The ETSE-UV program has contributed to higher female graduation rates, particularly at the Bachelor level.
- The initiative has also led to an increase in the number of women in top faculty positions.
- The program's four key actions (institutional support, professional networks, leadership promotion, role model visibility) show positive impact.
Conclusions:
- Targeted interventions in higher education can effectively improve gender diversity in STEM.
- The ETSE-UV program demonstrates a successful model for increasing female participation and leadership in technology fields.
- Continued efforts in supporting women are essential to close the gender gap in STEM and Information Theory.
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