Home | Blog | About | Contact | Women in Science Bookstore
Why women quit technology careers
ComputerWorld interviewed Sylvia Ann Hewlett of the Center of Work-Life Policy about her research for the Harvard Business Review report The Athena Factor: Reversing the Brain Drain in Science, Engineering and Technology. (I posted on the report previously.) She talks about the factors that result in women in their 30s leaving science and technology fields. While issues with work-life balance are a factor, it isn't the primary women that women are dropping out:
We call them "antigens," because they repel women.
[. . .] The most important antigen is the machismo that continues to permeate these work environments. We found that 63% of women in science, engineering and technology have experienced sexual harassment. That's a really high figure.
They talk about demeaning and condescending attitudes, lots of off-color jokes, sexual innuendo, arrogance; colleagues, particularly in the tech culture, who genuinely think women don't have what it takes -- who see them as genetically inferior. It's hard to take as a steady stream. It's predatory and demeaning. It's distressing to find this kind of data in 2008.
The other "antigens" are isolation being the only woman, lack of mentors, and reward of "risky behavior patterns". And, not to be left out, extremely long hours and a family-unfriendy atmosphere.
Their study focused on American private-sector jobs, but they did look at three international companies.
We also did a bunch of focus groups in Australia, Shanghai and Moscow. The data were pretty consistent. Actually, India is a little better than the U.S. But there's not much variation across geography.
The solution? More mentors - senior women or men. They not only help to map out career paths, but also help insulate younger women from the worst of the "macho" behaviors.
There is more discussion at Shakesville.
Tags: women in science, women in technology, gender gap
Categories: computer science, gender gap
Posted by Peggy K at 11:29 PM
About Women in Science
This blog is dedicated to the women in science and engineering, past and present. The links below are a work in progress. Feel free to e-mail me at peggy.kolm (at) gmail (dot) com with suggestions or comments.
Subscribe to Women in Science in your feed reader or by e-mail
Select a category 17th-19th century scientists (21) alternative careers (3) ancient scientists (4) anthropology (10) archaeology (3) art (9) astronauts (16) astronomy (44) awards (67) biochemistry (26) biology (106) biotechnology (10) blogs (26) botany (14) chemistry (53) computer science (54) conferences (8) contests (3) diversity in science carnival (3) ecology (16) education (48) engineering (79) environmental science (1) events (1) extreme research (7) fiction (28) fresh insights (6) gender gap (85) genetics (22) geology and geoscience (24) gifts (2) humor (3) interview (1) life as a woman scientist (80) materials science (8) mathematics (46) medical science (33) medieval scientists (3) microbiology (3) molecular biology (29) movies (5) music (1) neuroscience (17) obituary (7) oceanography (6) paleontology (7) personal (2) physics (69) physiology (6) pioneers (40) plays (2) politics (7) privacy policy (1) professional development (1) quotes (1) radio (2) reference (4) resources (3) resources for women (7) reviews (1) science for kids (32) scientiae carnival (44) stereotype (2) stereotypes (49) television (4) theatre (1) video (45) virology (3) web sites (2) zoology (16)
Blog Archive March 2010 (1) February 2010 (1) October 2009 (5) September 2009 (3) August 2009 (4) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (2) May 2009 (10) April 2009 (3) March 2009 (9) February 2009 (6) January 2009 (7) December 2008 (20) November 2008 (23) October 2008 (19) September 2008 (15) August 2008 (27) July 2008 (18) June 2008 (36) May 2008 (21) April 2008 (5) March 2008 (10) February 2008 (9) January 2008 (22) December 2007 (1) September 2007 (2) August 2007 (15) July 2007 (23) June 2007 (40) May 2007 (34) April 2007 (8) March 2007 (15) February 2007 (16) January 2007 (23) December 2006 (1) November 2006 (4) October 2006 (5) September 2006 (1)
Peggy Kolm is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
All original content ©2006-2008 P. Kolm