Opposing View: End the Discrimination
Girls Interested in Math, Science Are Discouraged at Every Turn

10/12/2007

By Kim Gandy, NOW President

This article originally appeared as an op-ed in USA Today on 10/12/07.

One of the most enduring stereotypes about the sexes is that men's mental abilities are better suited than women's for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). As a math major whose first job offer was teaching physics and chemistry, I find this theory archaic and easy to dispel. More compelling is the matter of why the myth lives on, how it derails girls and young women, and what we can do to offset its impact.

We could soon elect the first woman president in the USA, yet our society still clings to traditional gender roles. Even arguably intelligent people rely on outdated beliefs and assumptions to excuse discriminatory attitudes and practices. In 2005, the then-president of Harvard University, Lawrence Summers, suggested that women's "intrinsic aptitude" held them back in science and math. Women quickly pronounced this line of thinking obsolete and offensive, including the female presidents of MIT (a neuroscientist) and Princeton (a molecular biologist).

Unfortunately, there are countless more Lawrence Summers out there, and many of them are in positions of authority, shaping the pathways of education and career for girls and women in spite of the mandates of Title IX, the federal law that requires equal educational opportunities.

In fact, studies tell us that girls interested in STEM are discouraged and discounted at every turn. According to a recent National Science Foundation study, 66% of girls and 68% of boys reported liking science in fourth grade. By eighth grade, twice as many boys as girls expressed interest in STEM careers.

Throughout high school and college, women continue to filter out of these disciplines, although the reasons are more related to acceptance than aptitude. A study by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine found that "women are very likely to face discrimination in every field of science and engineering."

We've known this for decades. In 1972, Title IX was adopted, mandating equal opportunities for women in education. Full enforcement of Title IX is the key to breaking down the barriers that girls and women face. The remedy for discrimination is already in place; we just need the confidence and courage to demand its application.