Introduction

• STEM education and workforce are vital for the future

• The role and challenges that women face in STEM fields

• Underepresentation of women in STEM: societal and economic costs

• Reasons: Why women opt out?

• Practices of Japan and Nordic Countries concerning women in social and work spheres

• Gender Equity and gender equality policies together for women’s existence in STEM fields

What is STEM?

• Initiated by the National Science Foundation in the 1990s

• Response the dot-com boom and internet expansion.

• boost technological competence

• Key Skills - Focus on analytical thinking, problem-solving, and quantitative skills.

• Global Adoption - Adopted worldwide (in Europe and Asia) to enhance technological capabilities and competitiveness.

Global Expansion and Modern Significance of STEM

• Educational Policies:
  • No Child Left Behind Act and Obama’s goal to prepare 100,000 STEM teachers in the US
  • Horizon 2020 in Europe, and South Korea’s STEM master plan.
• Rising Demand for STEM Skills:
  • With the increase in AI and automation, the need for STEM skills are higher.
  • Predictions like Gartner’s that 15% of daily work decisions will be AI-driven by 2027.
  • Scientific literacy and ICT proficiency are essential for the 21st-century workforce (World Economic Forum, 2016).
• Preparing for the Future:
  • STEM education is key to prepare skilled and competitive workers for emerging industries reliant on advanced technical expertise and innovation.

Why STEM is the Future

1. Economic Implications:
   • Financial rewards and industry impact signify the crucial role of STEM fields in economic development (WEF, 2025).
2. Projected Job Growth (2023–2033):
   • STEM occupations projected to grow 10.4%, more than double the growth of all occupations at 4.0% (BLS, 2023).
   • Growth driven by advancements in IT, cybersecurity, automation, and AI technologies (WEF, 2025).
3. Rising Demand in Key Areas:
   • Increasing demand for IT services, cybersecurity enhancements, and R&D in automation and AI (WEF, 2025).
4. Wage Comparisons:
   • STEM wages, on average, more than double those in non-STEM fields, reflecting high demand for skilled professionals (BLS, 2023).

Women in STEM: Historical Bias vs. Modern Reality

1. Historical Perspectives:
   • Traditionally, ‘female’ associated with being emotional and ‘male’ with being rational, a bias rooted in misconceptions about gender and ability, influencing perceptions of women’s capabilities in STEM (Keller, 1985).
2. Evolution of Views:
   • Extensive research over the last 50 years shows that environmental factors, not genetics, influence success in STEM roles, challenging old stereotypes (Gray, 1992; Dickson, 2010; Kimmel et al., 2012; Saltiel, 2019; Zafar, 2013; Jiang, 2021).
3. Educational and Professional Reality:
   • Women’s significant advances into academia and the workforce, particularly in STEM, have shifted the old narratives and demonstrate women’s capabilities across all levels of scientific and technological fields (Charlesworth and Banaji, 2019).

Where are Women in STEM? Global and Regional Statistics

• Education Participation
  • Globally, only 35% of STEM students in higher education are women (UNESCO, 2020).
  • U.S.: Women account for 35% of STEM students.
  • Nordic Countries: 38–42%.
  • EU Average: 33%.
  • Japan: 20%, one of the lowest among developed nations.
• Workforce Representation
  • Women represent only 28% of the global STEM workforce.
  • U.S.: 28% of the STEM workforce is female.
  • Nordic Countries: ~32%.
  • EU Average: 17%.
  • Japan: 16%, reflecting cultural and structural barriers.
• Leadership Representation:
  • U.S.: Only 14% of top STEM roles are held by women.
  • Nordic Countries: ~20%, higher but still disproportionate.
  • Japan: Less than 5%.

Why Promoting Women in STEM Matters

1. Ethical Importance: Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential without gender barriers or other attributes.

2. Impact on Economic Growth:Diverse workforces enhance financial performance (Dezső & Ross, 2012; Credit Suisse, 2012) and foster greater innovation (Loyd et al., 2013; Galinsky et al. 2015; World Bank 2013).

3. Reducing Wage Gaps: The global gender wage gap stands at 23% (ILO, 2023). With STEM fields offering higher salaries, increasing women’s participation in STEM can help close this gap.

   • If high-ability women with STEM degrees entered STEM careers instead of non-STEM fields, the gender wage gap would shrink by 13.7% (Jiang, 2021).

• Women have to be in STEM fields to have a VOICE in the future.

Causes of Underrepresentation of Women in STEM and Career Opt-Outs

• Early Gender Gap Emergence: Studies show that interest diverges as early as middle school, with significantly more boys than girls planning careers in science or engineering (Legewie and DiPrete, 2012).

• Influences on Educational Choices: Girls’ decisions in education are shaped by gender biases, stereotypes, cultural norms, lack of role models, and expectations of parents and society (UNESCO, 2017).

• Why Women with STEM Degrees Opt Out - Post-University Leaky Pipeline Phenomenon: Many women with STEM qualifications do not pursue careers in their fields.

• Key Causes of Opting Out

  1. Career Interruptions
  2. Occupational Segragation
  3. Structure of “Greedy Jobs”

Barriers for Women in STEM Careers

• Career Interruptions:

  • Women often pause their careers for caregiving, leading to slower progression and reduced earnings (Goldin & Katz, 2010; Goldin, 2021).
  • Even brief breaks can significantly hinder promotions and salary growth in fast-paced STEM fields.

• Occupational Sorting and Biases:

  • Men often pursue high-paying, demanding roles, while women may opt for roles offering more flexibility because of caregiving and home responsibilities (Goldin, 2011; Goldin & Katz, 2011).
  • Biased hiring and promotion practices further worsen occupational segregation, limiting women’s access to certain roles and advancement opportunities.
  • Male dominated job environments are discouraging and seem unwelcome so women make conscious choices not to enter, ex ante.

• “Greedy Jobs”:

  • STEM fields feature roles that demand long hours, high commitment, and total availability.
  • These demanding job characteristics deter many women, contributing to fewer women in top roles and widening the gender pay gap (Goldin, 2014).

Japan vs. Nordic Countries: Women in the Workforce

• Japan’s Case: Focus on cultural and structural barriers that impact women’s roles.

• Nordic Analysis: Discussion on how Nordic countries’ as extensive parental leave and childcare support policies have fostered a supportive environment for women.

Challenges Faced by Women in the Japanese Workforce I

• Patriarchal Norms: Traditional gender roles in Japanese society, with expectations that women should prioritize family over career limits women’s engagement in the workforce (Nemeto, 2011).

• Post-Marriage and Post-Childbirth Job Quitting:

  • Post-Marriage: A significant number of women exit the workforce after marriage (Yamaguchi, 2011).
  • Post-Childbirth: There is a dramatic decline in full-time employment with a turnover rate of 60 %, leading many to transition to full-time homemaking.

• Rigid Work Environments: The Japanese workplace is known for its long hours and high commitment levels suitable for men, which contradict women’s family caregiving responsibilities (Yamaguchi, 2019).

Challenges Faced by Women in the Japanese Workforce II

• Seniority and Lifetime Employment: The traditional systems value continuous, uninterrupted employment, disadvantaging women.

• Barriers to Re-Entry: Employment practices favor new graduates and offer limited re-entry for women, impacting career continuity and advancement. Women can only continue with non-regular jobs.

• Underrepresentation in leadership and STEM roles: The scarcity of female role models and mentors perpetuates gender imbalances, discouraging other women from entering or advancing in these fields.

Poor Outcomes for Careers of Women and Womenomics Initiative

• Wage Gap: of 70%, which deepens when considering non-regular workers who are predominantly female and earn significantly lower hourly wages. Very low compared to OECD countries(80 %-90 %) .

• 16 % : Women’s share in STEM careers, less than 10 % : leadership positions

• Women without opportunity to show their potential.

• Broader economic inefficiency by failing to fully utilize the talents and potential of women.

• Womenomics launched in 2013 as part of Japan’s broader economic reform program, “Abenomics.”

• Aimed to counter Japan’s shrinking workforce and boost economic growth by enhancing women’s participation in the workforce (Pragmatic reasons).

• Numbers indicate slow improvement of women in the workforce in all fields including STEM, signalling deep-rooted tradional gender roles at home and at work.

Gender Equality vs. Gender Equity

• Gender Equality: Refers to treating everyone the same, regardless of gender. It assumes a level playing field where all individuals have the same rights, responsibilities, and opportunities. The outcome is mandated by law.

  • Example: Providing equal access to education for men and women, equal pay, non discrimination by law

• Gender Equity: Focuses on fairness and justice in addressing historical and structural barriers that prevent equal outcomes.

  • Example: Offering mentorship programs specifically for women in STEM to counteract systemic underrepresentation. Men and women CAN take equal maternity/paternity leaves. NOT mandated.

A success Story: Gender Equality Initiatives in Nordic Countries

• Empowering Women in the Workplace: Empowering women in workplace: initiatives focused on addressing disparities in hiring, pay, and career advancement (Ellingsæter, 2016).
• Equal Pay Laws: Nordic countries pioneered laws mandating equal pay for men and women performing the same work, setting a standard for gender pay equality (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2024).
• Anti-Discrimination Legislation: Comprehensive laws were introduced to prevent gender-based discrimination in employment and other areas, ensuring a fairer work environment for all (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2024).

The Shift Towards Gender Equity in Nordic Countries

• Addressing the distribution of unpaid labor at home, challenging societal norms that dictate traditional gender roles across both public and private spheres (Brandth & Kvande 2016; Reisel & Teigen, 2014).

• Parental Leave Policies: Nordic countries champion gender-neutral parental leave to encourage shared caregiving responsibilities, facilitating a balance in career and family life for both parents.

• State-Supported Childcare: Extensive childcare systems support both men and women in maintaining workforce participation, easing the burden of child-rearing.

• Workplace Flexibility: Policies promoting flexible working arrangements, like part-time opportunities and remote work, help integrate professional and domestic responsibilities.

• Leadership Quotas: Enforced quotas ensure significant female representation in leadership across various sectors, promoting gender parity.

• Changing the private sphere in the sense that sharing the unpaid home labor and child caring is key for the cultural shift and women’s representation in STEM fields.

Key Takeaways and Implications

• Economic Growth: Promoting diversity in STEM enhances innovation, driving economic growth and technological advancement.

• Women must be represented more in STEM fields.

• Insights: Learning from Japan and Nordic countries, deep cultural roots determine sucesss of gender equity/equality strategies. The playground is different for each country.

• Policy Implications: Adoption of Nordic-like support measures (e.g., childcare, parental leave) can be tailored to different regions such as Turkey to boost gender equity.

• Future Outlook: Sustained commitment to gender equality is crucial, blending gender equality and gender equity policies to maximize talent utilization.

• Changing both the life at work and at home is essential for women to exist in STEM.