Why do so many women leave their careers in STEM
[Music]
let’s get more girls in stem
how do we get more girls in stem the 9
best stem toys for girls in 2020
if you search girls in stem on google
you get 450 million hits
and this clearly shows our obsession
with getting more girls in stem
i’m sure from stem barbies to coding
camps
you guys have seen it all
getting more girls in science technology
engineering and mathematics careers
is the right thing to do because stem
needs women
and women need stem stem needs a diverse
workforce
to solve the complex problems that just
can’t wait
women also need stem to get a much
deserved seat at the table
and to enjoy the social and economic
benefits
of working in stem professions
currently only 28 women constitute
the workforce in stem jobs in the us
so getting more girls in stem is urgent
and important
but there is only one problem with this
solution
and that is the leaking bucket that’s
waiting for these girls
as soon as they join the stem workforce
studies show that more than 40 women
leave stem jobs in just
five years of starting
so even today where we are statistically
very close
to having over 50 percent women
representing
representation in the undergraduate stem
degree programs
in the us we still only have 28
women in the actual jobs so we’re
getting more girls
into a bucket that’s leaking and are not
really addressing the gender gap
in these professions
which leads me to ask a couple of
intriguing questions
what if keeping women in stem
is more important than getting more
girls in stem
and what if there’s a way to repair this
leaking bucket
as a child i always wanted to be an
engineer
my dad only had two obsessions bollywood
and making me an engineer
my parents constant encouragement and my
role model
the late astronaut kalpana chawla really
paved the path of engineering for me
in 2012 i moved to the us and studied in
the same classroom as her
i was fired up excited and full of
possibilities
after getting my masters in mechanical
engineering i found my dream job in
manufacturing
and i was thoroughly enjoying the first
three to four years of working in stem
until one day i started feeling a little
bit lost
i didn’t know where to go from here i
just couldn’t visualize
the next steps even though kalpana
chawla taught me that no dream is too
big
as a child now as an adult
i wanted to meet relatable women who
were really succeeding
in stem jobs but everywhere i looked
i found the same stem barbies and the
same coding camps
and guess what even i joined forces
in 2017 i started my podcast her stem
story
to get more girls in stem
what started as a way to inspire my 14
year old cousin
and many girls like her
surprisingly started motivating me to
stay in stem
stories like the story of vishakha
malaya
who is a first generation indian
american a computer science engineer
and an lgbtq advocate and a professional
model
really inspired me to explore my
success definition and to believe in my
own brilliance
every week i was interviewing diverse
women
with diverse stem stories
from the ceos to the science
communicators i somehow found them all
the more women i interviewed the more i
realized
that if us women
want to succeed in stem the secret is
to find relatable role models
these women that i was interviewing were
way more than just women
in stem they were paving their unique
path
in stem careers so by diversifying the
pool of role models for myself i was
able to find a solid reason to stay
in stem and share these stories with
other women who might be at the edge of
leaving
if us women want to succeed in stem we
also need to just
look at the 28 women who have stayed in
these professions
understand why they have stayed and how
they define
success we need to find people who can
show us that no dream is too big
but in a more relatable way
who can tell us that stem doesn’t define
us but we define stem
so how do we find these perfect role
models
as women in stem i have some tips for
you
and don’t worry you don’t need to start
a podcast
all you need to do is qualify
potential role models and people in your
existing circles
based on three simple criterias
number one connect with women who are
just
two or three steps ahead of you one of
the biggest mistakes that people make
while looking for role models
is they directly look up to the ceos and
it can feel unrelatable
and overwhelming
the trick is to find women who are only
two or three steps ahead
connect with them on social media and
just observe their journey
their influence is way more powerful
than you realize
i find all my guests almost all my
guests on instagram
and i recommend you do the same just
search women in stem
in the search bar and look for women
that you can relate to
and women who are doing things that you
would like to do
number two search for the struggles this
is where the magic happens people who
share the same struggles as us
can really show us what’s possible
beyond those struggles
and they can give us real insight on how
to overcome them
how to pivot seems to be a common
struggle for women
in stem many of my guests have shared
their struggles
and inspired listeners to pivot like a
pro
like my guest britney stoneberg who
graduated with a
degree in english and then went on
her way to become a paleontologist
really inspired my listeners to think
beyond
what’s possible irrespective of their
educational background
and number three focus on the details
what kills the search for a perfect role
model is
to try to find them in your profession
or your industry
the real trick is to break those rules
and look beyond
look for the commonalities creatively
it’s all in the details but what matters
is what details will you focus on
one of my favorite questions to ask on
the show is
to find out my guest’s favorite book
learning about someone’s favorite book
opens a door to their personality and
what they might have in common with us
when we share commonalities with someone
it’s way easier for us to see ourselves
in them
since finding myself over 100 role
models
i have really fallen in love with my
stem career
i’m happy to report that i’m excelling
at my nine to five
i’ve grown my podcast and have really
defined
what success means to me and i continue
to redefine it as i meet more women
when us women in stem feel continuously
successful and inspired in our stem
careers
and we find that through relatable role
models
that is when we will stay
and grow in stem professions
and the girls that follow us they will
have
more relatable role models and an even
brighter future
instead of a leaking bucket thank you
[Applause]
you