Helmi Hammami

A new Harvard Business Review paper argues that women leave science and technology careers in droves because of “hostile macho cultures” and risk-taking incentives, among other reasons.

The paper, produced by the Center for Work-Life Policy, found that more than half of women who enter science, engineering, and technology careers drop out. The paper’s authors identified several “antigens” in corporate sci/tech cultures that force women out: macho work environments, feelings of isolation or career stagnation, cultures that encourage risk-taking, and time-intensive positions that compromise family responsibilities. The study also analyzes 13 company initiatives that try to combat these pressures.

Studies from MIT, the National Science Foundation, and elsewhere have previously addressed the female brain drain in the sciences. The Chronicle has also covered efforts at universities to combat the “antigens” cited in the HBR study. The University of Southern California has set up a support network for women in science and engineering, for example, and Carleton College has developed a sort of professor mentoring program that seems to encourage more female students into science Ph.D. programs.—Catherine Rampell

From wored campus Online.

My comments:

What is happening in the other parts of the world is not just women are not enrolling science programs. Unfortunately still in some countries women do not have the right to education. and if entiteled to they just get the basics. One reason: supramacy to men who are the back bone of economy !

In developed countries, the problem is becoming more descipline oriented. In most of the Arab countries, large propotion of the illetrate are women. Fortuantely the trend is chaging and many voices from here and there are claming the right of decent education to women.

Nota: One of the pioneer countries in women education and civil rights is Tunisia. Former President Bourguiba gave the right of vote to women since 1957 (before switzerland and Italy and many other European countries). Education was compulsury and families who were against the idea of sending their children (Boys and Girls) to schools were sanctionned according to the law.

# publié par Helmi Hammami @ 02:31