A Review on Gender Inequality in STEM Areas
Chapter from the book:
Bayram,
A.
T.
(ed.)
2023.
Research on Social Sciences- V.
Synopsis
Technological advances that marked the century we live in have led to significant transformations in both education and working life. The fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) covering these new technologies required by the age offer the opportunity to meet the needs of the century. However, as in many social, cultural, economic and political areas of life, STEM fields are also areas where male hegemony is reproduced and where gender inequality is present. Starting from the socialization process, women who were brought up in the axis of gender-based norms could not find a place for themselves in these areas in the process from primary school to their careers; STEM fields have become departments and occupations where men are concentrated. Due to institutionalized sexism, women, who struggle with vertical segregation in the mentioned areas as well as the horizontal segregation they are exposed to first in education and then in business life, experience various disadvantages by falling behind the requirements of the age. The low representation of women in STEM fields and the low number of women who will be role models for girls and young women create a vicious circle in the context of gender inequality. In the light of all these, the aim of this study is; to address the inadequacy of women's representation in STEM fields in education and employment, and the social and economic exclusion practices of women in this sense, in the context of gender inequality. In this direction, the current situation has been tried to be revealed with examples from the world and Turkey, besides the literature review on the subject in a comprehensive manner. All findings show that there is gender inequality in STEM education and employment against young girls and women.