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Brain drain: women power or lack of it?
One of the reasons why so many women quit a successful career in their 30s usually stems from family obligations.
One of the reasons why so many women quit a successful career in their 30s usually stems from family obligations. Gitika Talwar, studying in the Human Services Psychology program at the University of Maryland in the US, says sacrificing family is not an option that many women exercise.“There are also psychological theories that justify how women are reared in a manner encouraging them to value relationships, whereas men are taught to value autonomy,”she says. Gitika also believes that “certain fields (like STEM) are less forgiving towards such conflicts.” As a case in point she claims, “If I choose to be a therapist, I could control my work hours. On the other hand, working for a research organization would not allow me that benefit.” Further, in rapidly evolving technological fields, one cannot afford to take time-off for a long period, without suffering a major career setback.
Gitika’s perspective is illustrated in the research which refers to jobs in STEM companies as “extreme jobs” with “long weekends and punishing travel schedules”. Because women are more likely to give up sooner, they ‘tend to find themselves shunted into roles as executors or helpers…while men occupy the more illustrious creator and producer roles.’
Cisco recently introduced the Executive Talent Insertion program which aims to "ensure that within 18 months, women will come to represent 25% of the senior management team".
However, in order to encourage more women to pursue graduate studies in STEM, corporate houses are increasingly getting involved with programs promoting these subjects. Cisco recently introduced the Executive Talent Insertion program which aims to ‘ensure that within 18 months, women will come to represent 25% of the senior management team.’ Similarly, Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft are following in the same league. J&J, in its ‘Crossing the Finish Line’ program provides leadership development to ‘high-potential multicultural women’. Pfizer on the other hand, working with Yale University, has established the Women’s Leadership Network which is more like a ‘student mentoring program.’ Even companies like Symbian have individual programs to encourage women to do STEM graduate studies, whereby companies are searching for more women to join the STEM fields. The QS Leadership Career Forums (Women in Leadership and Diversity in Leadership) to be held in London on September 25 and 26 allows graduates to see the type of employment opportunities out there and is a step in the right direction of incorporating more women in the varied world of STEM.
With initiatives from companies and academia, it may not be long before women account for a significant proportion of the STEM workforce. And if we can cut female attrition in STEM by 25%, there will be 220, 000 highly skilled workers in the market. Now, that’s definitely a thought to ponder on.
