K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
When it comes to women in STEM careers, the numbers tell the story. Tech jobs—AI, machine learning, data science, cyber security, software programming, and technology consulting to name a few—continue to outpace other occupations nationwide.
Even so, women are still facing gender discrimination in the workplace. Women occupy approximately 28% of the STEM workforce and, on average, they make 83 cents for every dollar that is earned by their male counterparts. At first glance, the numbers may seem disappointing, but they are consistently improving. Progress is being made, and this is due in large part to companies that have made it a priority to attract and promote women in technology.
According to a recent study by SmartAsset, the top cities for women in tech are Arlington, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, D.C. Dallas comes in at No. 61 of 63 cities in the study. However, Dallas’ suburbs have impressive rankings on the list, with Irving at No. 42, Plano at No. 27, and Frisco tied with Oakland, California at No. 22. Industry leaders are seeing a slow, but positive change in Dallas. “I have found that Dallas-based organizations are being intentional in including women in STEM in their workforce in ways that we have not seen historically,” says Marissa Horne, vice president of tech strategy and governance at Capital One. “Dallas has a unique opportunity to become a leading innovation hub across STEM domains, especially technology. Leveraging the power of private enterprise and university partnerships, this city has the ingredients to elevate its technology ecosystem. As this occurs and Dallas moves further along the innovation curve, women must play an integral role in bringing this reality to life.”
Katie Mills, treasurer of the Dallas Society of Women Engineers, says that in the past few years, her organization has noticed more companies publishing their diversity goals and openly pushing to have more women in upper management, particularly in technology fields. “We see those companies not only coming out with stated goals, but with metrics, plans, check points, and a path to meet those goals,” she says. “It’s not only about gender equality on corporate boards but taking steps to support women early in their careers so these women remain in the STEM workforce and provide these companies with a pool of talent to draw from when looking for leadership positions.”
Greater equity in the workplace begins with planting the seeds to pursue STEM early—usually in elementary school. Hattie Hill, CEO president of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, says there is systemic bias within the U.S. education system that pushes girls away from science and math, even when they show an interest. Plus, there are few female STEM role models for girls in elementary through college. The foundation’s STEAM Academy believes that to prepare all students for the changing workforce, they need to learn more than technical skills. The arts help to spark creativity within STEM disciplines and are a productive way to combine a love of the arts with a background in the sciences. Recently, the STEAM Academy partnered with Dallas Summer Musicals, inviting nearly 1,500 DISD students and teachers to see the Broadway musical, Hamilton. This was a great way to showcase the kind of technology required behind the scenes to create such a stunning production. “It illustrated to young people the various job possibilities they can have in the future,” Hill says. “Right now, when it comes to bridging the gap and job opportunities, students can’t be what they don’t see. Our programs invited students to have an opportunity to experience STEAM in a specific way.”
Continue reading: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2022/january-february/women-leading-tech-and-innovation/
Even so, women are still facing gender discrimination in the workplace. Women occupy approximately 28% of the STEM workforce and, on average, they make 83 cents for every dollar that is earned by their male counterparts. At first glance, the numbers may seem disappointing, but they are consistently improving. Progress is being made, and this is due in large part to companies that have made it a priority to attract and promote women in technology.
According to a recent study by SmartAsset, the top cities for women in tech are Arlington, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, D.C. Dallas comes in at No. 61 of 63 cities in the study. However, Dallas’ suburbs have impressive rankings on the list, with Irving at No. 42, Plano at No. 27, and Frisco tied with Oakland, California at No. 22. Industry leaders are seeing a slow, but positive change in Dallas. “I have found that Dallas-based organizations are being intentional in including women in STEM in their workforce in ways that we have not seen historically,” says Marissa Horne, vice president of tech strategy and governance at Capital One. “Dallas has a unique opportunity to become a leading innovation hub across STEM domains, especially technology. Leveraging the power of private enterprise and university partnerships, this city has the ingredients to elevate its technology ecosystem. As this occurs and Dallas moves further along the innovation curve, women must play an integral role in bringing this reality to life.”
Katie Mills, treasurer of the Dallas Society of Women Engineers, says that in the past few years, her organization has noticed more companies publishing their diversity goals and openly pushing to have more women in upper management, particularly in technology fields. “We see those companies not only coming out with stated goals, but with metrics, plans, check points, and a path to meet those goals,” she says. “It’s not only about gender equality on corporate boards but taking steps to support women early in their careers so these women remain in the STEM workforce and provide these companies with a pool of talent to draw from when looking for leadership positions.”
Greater equity in the workplace begins with planting the seeds to pursue STEM early—usually in elementary school. Hattie Hill, CEO president of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, says there is systemic bias within the U.S. education system that pushes girls away from science and math, even when they show an interest. Plus, there are few female STEM role models for girls in elementary through college. The foundation’s STEAM Academy believes that to prepare all students for the changing workforce, they need to learn more than technical skills. The arts help to spark creativity within STEM disciplines and are a productive way to combine a love of the arts with a background in the sciences. Recently, the STEAM Academy partnered with Dallas Summer Musicals, inviting nearly 1,500 DISD students and teachers to see the Broadway musical, Hamilton. This was a great way to showcase the kind of technology required behind the scenes to create such a stunning production. “It illustrated to young people the various job possibilities they can have in the future,” Hill says. “Right now, when it comes to bridging the gap and job opportunities, students can’t be what they don’t see. Our programs invited students to have an opportunity to experience STEAM in a specific way.”
Continue reading: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2022/january-february/women-leading-tech-and-innovation/
