How US Women in STEM Feel in Male-Dominated Study and Work Cultures

Abstract

Women in STEM study and work in male-dominated environments with cultures based on masculine values and white male primacy. STEM women strain to conform to these cultures, and any failure to properly advance is often blamed on them. The struggles these women face and the impact on their psychological well-being and professional STEM lives remain mostly untold. The Global Women in STEM Leadership Summit (GWiS) is a multigenerational, multi-sector conference that, among other things, empowers women in STEM to explore and articulate their struggles in male-dominated study and work cultures, to discuss how these experiences hinder their progress and affect their well-being, and to recognize their unique contributions. This paper leverages data collected at the 2019 GWiS to (1) expose, amplify, validate and elevate the severely underrepresented female identity and perspective in STEM, (2) reveal struggles women in STEM face and uncover underlying root causes in male practices that hinder women in STEM, and (3) illustrate the value of counterspaces, such as GWiS, in validating women’s identities and perspectives, creating empowering experiences, and countering negative feelings. If widely implemented, this shift in perspective is the first step toward dismantling one-sided systems and co-creating more balanced work environments that benefit all.