Today’s schools are showing much improvement in educating girls in the subjects of math, science, technology, and engineering despite the gap in gender equality. The United States, promising to end discrimination still lags behind in rights for women and girls. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, established in 1948, the United Nations said all people, regardless of sex ‘are born free and equal in dignity and rights’. The U.S. is a signatory to the CEDAW but it has never made it to the Senate floor for a vote. How does this translate into our education system for our students?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is more elementary and secondary data on educational access and opportunities for boys and girls than ever before. Demographics indicate that girls represent 46 percent of the students enrolled in prekindergarten. It also shows that an equal number of males participated in nursery school programs compared to girls the same age. In elementary and secondary education, girls represent 49 percent of the students. In postsecondary education, 57 percent are women. The Gifted and Talented programs have shown an equal number of female and male students. In most classes, with the exception of Physics, there are nearly an equal number of both male and female students.
Title IX provided a new world for girls to compete in high school sports. It is not only about sports; it prohibits sex-based discrimination in education and does not apply only to female students. Since the existence of Title IX, opportunities have been afforded to girls to enter into the fields of coaching, administration and state high school associations.
Today, women are entering college at higher rates than men and are less likely to drop out once they are enrolled. They account for 60 percent of U.S. bachelor’s degree holders. Women make up nearly half of our country’s workforce but are still earning less than males. Women are making gains in occupations that traditionally have been dominated by men – doctors, lawyers, scientists, and professors. Even with the narrowing of the gender gap, women make 78 percent of what men make. The number of women in science and engineering is growing, yet men continue to hold upper levels of those positions.
A females’ achievement in the fields of math and science is greatly influenced by demographics and societal beliefs. Parents and teachers must tell girls that their intelligence can expand with experience and learning. To many stereotypes persist for girls enrolled in high school physics classes. A mindset must be developed early to encourage girls’ interest in these subjects. The commitment for women to enter math and science occupations narrow at many points between kindergarten and career choice with elementary school the critical juncture.
In our education system, women have caught up to men. This shows no problems with female achievement. The problem still lies in the workforce and caregiving responsibilities. Evidence suggests that countries with better gender equality and less gender disparity in primary and secondary education are more likely to have higher economic growth. An educated female population increases a country’s productivity. Educated women tend to be healthier, enter the workforce, have fewer children, and provide quality health care for their children.
To cultivate girl’s achievement we need to expose both boys and girls to female role models in science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and the arts. The more that people hear and tell of women’s success stories; the belief that boys are better becomes a part of our past.
