'This doesn't just fall on women': computer scientists reflect on gender biases in STEM
Oct 10, 2023
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Computer scientists Shobhana Narasimhan and Sana Odeh discuss gender biases and challenges facing women in STEM fields. They explore the importance of gender diversity in computer science, discrimination in the job market, and the need for cultural change. The podcast also addresses solutions for eliminating barriers and the responsibility of society in addressing gender biases in academia.
Barriers faced by women in STEM include gender biases, stereotypes, and cultural perceptions.
Increasing opportunities for challenging research can help eliminate the gender gap in computer science.
Deep dives
Barriers faced by women in STEM fields
Despite the recognition of Ada Lovelace's contributions to computer science in 1843, women still encounter significant barriers in STEM fields. Female researchers in computer science discuss the biases that exist in these fields, such as stereotypes about women leaving due to pregnancy or men being more capable. The experiences of women vary globally, with different cultural perceptions impacting their participation. While countries like India have a higher percentage of women in the software industry, academia shows lower representation, indicating a cultural perception of women's roles. The podcast highlights the need for society-wide change and support to remove these barriers.
Challenges and solutions in increasing enrollment of women
The podcast explores the challenges and solutions to increasing women's enrollment in computer science. Highlighting the Arab world, where women in computer science face discrimination despite higher enrollment rates in universities, a lack of opportunities for challenging research emerges. The cultural attitudes influencing career choices play a significant role, with cultural cues discouraging women from pursuing computer science. The podcast emphasizes the importance of providing more opportunities for exciting and cutting-edge research in computer science as a solution to eliminating the gender gap.
The impact of the digital divide and cultural factors
The podcast delves into the impact of the digital divide and cultural factors on women's participation in computer science. The discussion includes the experiences of a computational scientist who faced a lack of resources and access to high-performance computing, highlighting the digital divide prevalent in both India and sub-Saharan Africa. Cultural factors and societal attitudes shape perceptions of computer science as a prestigious field, leading to gender disparities. The podcast emphasizes the need for cultural change and raising awareness to support women in overcoming barriers and achieving gender diversity in computer science.
In this Podcast Extra, two computer scientists, Shobhana Narasimhan and Sana Odeh, join Nature's Anne Pichon to discuss the barriers that women and gender-diverse people still face when working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
They share their experiences and perspectives on the challenges facing women in research, and reflect on potential ways to move forward.