Gender Issues in STEM with Clare Scott and Sarah Kerns

The Rational View podcast with Dr. Al Scott

Gender bias in STEM fields is an important issue in society. Women are statistically underrepresented in STEM fields and although gains have been made, the problem remains. This is a timely issue to discuss now: due to the pandemic, many more women than men have left the workforce to care for children. We need to be aware that many of the gains that have been made have recently eroded.

Many will claim that women are not as interested in STEM fields, perhaps they are biologically different than men. I think this attitude is a cop-out and is dangerous to society. I believe that one reason that anti-science sentiment has had an easy time taking hold in society is that many women expect to encounter discrimination and barriers in these fields. Anyone with this expectation is likely to seek answers elsewhere. By maintaining these barriers, even unconsciously, men in STEM fields alienate potential allies. We need to work actively to identify and mitigate cultural barriers and attitudes that dissuade women from successful careers in STEM.

As an introduction to the issue I interview my daughter, Clare Scott, who has just graduated from high school with top marks in her class. She will be starting at McGill University in the fall for Environmental Sciences. She is also an avid highland dancer. I discuss her perceptions of gender bias as she prepares for her post-secondary education in a STEM field.

I also imposed upon my talented wife, Ms. Sarah Kerns who has been an electrical and software engineer in a male-dominated field for over 10 years to provide her perspective and insights from her experience on these issues. Sarah was lead software test engineer for Canada's James Webb Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor.

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