The More Gender Equality, the Fewer Women in STEM
THEATLANTIC.COM -- A new study [2018] explores a strange paradox: In countries that empower women, they are less likely to choose math and science professions. While countries with the most female STEM graduates were also some of the least gender-equal countries. Something in even the most liberal societies is nudging women away from STEM, even when those are their best subjects. "Countries with the highest gender equality tend to be welfare states," they write, "with a high level of social security." Thus, the authors suggest, girls in less gender-equal countries might be more inclined to choose STEM professions, since they offer a more certain financial future than, say, painting or writing. That correlation echoes past research showing that ...
