We have come so far, but we still have a long way to go.
“At a young age, alam ko na physics ang na-e-enjoy ko na science. Pero quantum physics in particular. Nakakatawa ‘yan na story” (At a young age, I knew that I enjoyed physics over other sciences. Quantum physics in particular. It’s actually a funny story), Dr. Jacquiline Romero, a quantum physicist at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems at the University of Queensland, Australia, said over an interview with the writer. When asked how Philippine society sees female Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) practitioners, Dr. Romero responded, “Definitely, there’s more awareness now. I think things are getting better. Pero siguro mas kailangan pa mas mabilis magbago” (But maybe there’s still a need to expedite changes in perception in the field).
For the longest time, STEM has been a male-dominated field globally. Of over 600 Nobel Prizes awarded in the field, only 20 have been given to women. In the Philippines, there are only 11 women in the roster of 42 national scientists — a disparity so pronounced considering that 46 percent of STEM workers are women.
“I believe that there are incentives [to working in STEM], such as scholarships, competitions, etc. There are career orientation seminars, programs for students that are held for the youth by some government agencies (such as DOST). But there is a lack of information dissemination as well as the stigma associated with working in STEM,” explained Dr. Pierangeli Vital, head of the Natural Sciences Research Center at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Harmful Gender Stereotypes Perpetuated
The Annual Review of Psychology defines stereotype threat as the feeling that members of a stigmatized group get from the risk of being branded with negative stereotypes. “eliciting a disruptive state that undermines their performance and aspirations” in their respective domain.
This is further examined in an experiment from 1999, where college students were asked to take a challenging math test. Students in the first set were told that the test produced no gender differences, while those in the second set were told that it did. Women performed worse than equally qualified men in the second set — a difference in performance that wasn’t observed in the first set.
According to a 2020 study on perceptions of the Filipino youth around STEM, stereotype threat is one reason more women than men lack confidence in their STEM skills and avoid choosing STEM as their career path. The report also showed how because of centuries’ worth of internalized gender stereotypes, young women were more likely to say that males were better at technology and engineering.
“Hindi nila [young people] ‘yon kasalanan” (It’s not the youth’s fault), argued Dr. Romero. “It’s just the fact that growing up, these were the models that they would see. Mahirap i-beat ‘yong unconscious bias, lalo na sa mga scientist. (It’s tough to shake off unconscious bias, especially for scientists.)”
Although verbal discrimination no longer exists in STEM, Dr. Romero believes a more discreet kind of discrimination lingers.
“If you are a scientist, you are very proud of your objectivity. And in most cases, it’s true, you are a very objective person. So when you hear that you have this unconscious bias, that’s like saying, ‘you’re not being objective,’ and the natural inclination is to deny that, because ‘I’m a scientist, I’m an objective person.’ Mahirap siyang i-combat” (It’s difficult to combat), she expounded.
Overcoming Systemic Obstacles
Beyond the discrimination lurking quietly, women also face other concerns when working in the field of STEM. These include sexual and verbal harassment, the gender pay gap, and being hired based on their physical appearance.
Although most respondents in a study about women in STEM in the Philippines reported positive experiences in their respective workplaces, there is still a significant number of those who experience otherwise. A few considerations that most of the respondents in the study rated as “unsatisfactory” and “very unsatisfactory” include:
- The praise they get for doing a good job;
- The way their coworkers get along with each other;
- The amount of pay especially for the amount of work they do;
- The feeling of accomplishment from their job; and
- The chances of advancement in their job.
There were also respondents who felt that they were discriminated against or sexually harassed but chose not to report the incident. This only strengthens the claim that there is a lack of institutionalized support for women in STEM.
Claire Galola, a cadet engineer trainee, said that it’s still apparent how women still find it harder to be accepted in STEM jobs due to the patriarchal and traditional system. This system gives way for unspoken bias against women and, later on, other bigger and life-altering issues.
“Women are treated specially when they could perform on the ‘same level’ as men, but are not heard enough when they voice out legitimate and logical concerns. However, when a man says the same thing a woman did, he is considered a genius, and the idea is considered brilliant,” shared Galola.
Because of these lapses, women are forced to double the effort they put into their fields.
“Although the influence of women in the STEM field is still being overshadowed (at times), I believe that the drive and persistence are so strong that women are willing to work hard and be at par with men,” Dr. Vital shared. “The hard work of senior women in STEM helped the younger generations find a niche in STEM.”
These obstacles also put more pressure on women. Galola constantly fears that if she commits a mistake, she would be adding to the misconception that women naturally couldn’t keep up in the industry. The silent discrimination, internalized gender stereotypes, and misinformation about women in STEM are what hinder women from reaching their full potential in the field. In consequence, the community suffers as well.
Dr. Romero believes that science is losing out by not including minority groups such as women. “Sa lahat ng problems, ang solusyon ay mas pagiging inclusive. (In any problem, the solution is to be more inclusive.) The more diversity in thought that you have, the better you can tackle a problem.”
For Galola, women leaders differ from their counterparts because they are driven by compassion in their roles. Dr. Vital feels the same, stating that women have an innate passion to ensure the well-being of their communities.
Over the years, there have been vast improvements within the field of STEM, like laws and policies in the Philippines that aim to enhance the experience of women in the industry, as well as protecting women’s positions in their respective workplaces. There are also numerous scholarship programs now, both by private and public sectors, given to individuals to pursue research and higher studies.
However, with deep-seated stereotypes and discrimination ingrained discreetly within members of the field, the roadblocks to progress remain.
More than ever, this entails taking definitive steps in empowering women in their craft, from investing in their skills to protecting them from systemic oppression.
“Women offer more alternative perspectives and considerations for other minor but essential aspects, such as the health status of colleagues and other possible scenarios that were not thought about before. For me, these perspectives by women are just as important to be heard and considered before making any decision, because they still impact results,” asserted Galola.
http://www.yorku.ca/steeleje/research/PDF/Steele_JASP_2003.pdf
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/1471-6402.00042
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-psych-073115-103235?journalCode=psych
