Conservation New

Careers in STEM and gender equity

Learn about opportunities to close the gender gap in STEM and explore many STEM careers open to all.

Grade

8-10

Duration

45 mins

Type

Group work

Overview

Students think critically about the challenges that still exist for women and girls in STEM and consider opportunities to address the gender gap. Armed with this knowledge, they will then complete a research scavenger hunt to learn about many different careers in STEM fields. Finally, students create a job posting imagining they are an entrepreneur of a new STEM company and building their team.

Part of the Women in STEM, past and present unit.

Instructions

What you'll need

Careers in STEM scavenger hunt student handout, print one copy per student
Careers in STEM scavenger hunt answer key for the teacher
Access to computers, tablets or phones to do individual research

Introduction

Start the activity by having a class discussion about amazing women who have contributed to STEM throughout history, or see the previous activities in the Women in STEM, past and present unit.

Women in STEM today

Begin by asking students if they think women have equal opportunity in STEM today. Ask students to share their ideas. Perhaps they can think of careers where there are more women like the medical field and others like engineering where there are still inequities. Have them provide examples of equal/unequal opportunities to access jobs, funding, and awards.
According to the International Women’s Day theme to Accelerate Action in 2025: “At the current rate of progress, it will take 134 years, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity in 2158, according to data from the World Economic Forum”.
In addition, according to Randstad, one of the top employment agencies in Canada, here is a look at women in STEM careers in 2023:
- Women make up about 47% of the total workforce but women make up less 25% of people employed in STEM careers in Canada.
- Women only make up 15% of the total management roles in science, engineering, and technology.
- Less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women.
Ask students why they think there is such a gap in women working in STEM. What has happened in the past, and what happens today? Some things to consider:
- Education: In the past and in some cultures today girls were/are not given the same education opportunities as boys. Historically they were barred from universities or associations, left out of jobs or the credit for their work was taken by male co-workers or supervisors. Black women and other women of colour faced even more barriers to education due to segregation, discrimination, financial barriers and other inequities. What can we do to change this?
- Stereotypes: Many individuals might still associate STEM fields with masculine qualities which can be discouraging to some girls. What can we do to change this?
- Work environment: Many workplaces are male-dominated environments and have a lack of women role models and this could contribute to women not entering or leaving STEM jobs. What can we do to change this?
- Networking and community: Since many STEM jobs are historically male-dominated, it could be challenging for girls and women to find supportive networks. What can we do to change this?
Invite students to share their experiences. This could be done anonymously by writing their experiences on paper, folding and placing in a box. They could then be read out randomly. Have they ever been told they should like or do something because they are a boy or a girl, maybe in a sport or other activity? How did that make them feel? Have they seen adult men or women doing jobs or activities that other people might think are just for the opposite gender? Can they share how that made them feel. How would they feel differently if they had a mentor of the same gender in a field they are considering? Consider careers like nursing, electrician, computer programmer, stay at home parent, fire fighter or car mechanic. Can they think of any differences or challenges they’ve noticed anywhere that might be related to gender?

Careers in STEM

Give each student a copy of the Careers in STEM scavenger hunt student handout. Have students first read about the discoveries, inventions and work of the nine women. Then select the women who made discoveries and/or had careers of interest to you. Finally choose four and conduct research to learn more about each field of study/career and record your responses.
When complete select a few students to share their findings for each of the topics listed. Look at the “Careers in STEM scavenger hunt answer key to share any additional information that may have been missed.
Next ask students to pick a STEM career that interests them.

Ask students to imagine they are an entrepreneur / owner of a new STEM company and setting up their business. Have them create their own job posting to attract team members to come work with them. Include information like what the business does, what position the company is hiring for, location and working conditions (remote, in office, travel, benefits), salary range, what skills are needed (technical and soft skills like communication, conflict-management, critical thinking, problem-solving), why someone would want to work with this company, their sustainability/equity commitments and what qualifications and attributes the applicant needs. Design your posting to be attractive to future employees. Consider researching postings like Indeed and GoodWork.ca and going to the Government of B.C. job posting tips.

Modify or extend this activity

Create a mini career fair. Working in pairs, students choose a STEM job to highlight and create a poster and presentation for their classmates.

Curriculum Fit

Social Studies 8 -10

Big idea

Human and environmental factors shape changes in population and living standards. (Gr. 8)
Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events. (Gr. 9)
The development of political institutions is influenced by economic, social, ideological, and geographic factors. (Gr. 10)
Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society. (Gr. 10)

Content

Scientific and technological innovations (Gr. 8)
Political, social, economic, and technological revolutions (Gr. 9)
Environmental, political and economic policies (Gr. 10)
Discriminatory policies and injustices in Canada and the world (Gr. 10)
Advocacy for human rights (Gr. 10)

Curricular Competencies

Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions (Gr. 8-10)

Science 9

Big idea

The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them. (Gr. 9)
Energy is conserved, and its transformation can affect living things and the environment. (Gr. 10)

Content

Matter cycles (Gr. 9)
Sustainability of systems (Gr. 9)
Local and global impacts of energy transformations from technologies (carbon dioxide output) (Gr. 10)

Curricular Competencies

Questioning and Predicting

Demonstrate a sustained [intellectual - Gr. 10]curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest. (Gr. 9-10)

Planning and Conducting

Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to systematically and accurately collect and record data. (Gr. 9-10)

Evaluating

Evaluate their methods and experimental conditions, including identifying sources of error or uncertainty, confounding variables, and possible alternative explanations and conclusions (Gr. 9-10)

Career Education 8 & 9

Big ideas

Reflecting on our preferences and skills helps us identify the steps we need to take to achieve our career goals. (Gr. 8-9)
Our career paths reflect the personal, community, and educational choices we make. (Gr. 8-9)

Content

Personal Development

Self-assessment for career research (Gr. 8-9)

Connections to Community

Local and global needs and opportunities (Gr. 8-9)

Curricular Competencies

Question self and others about how individual purposes and passions can support the needs of the local and global community when considering career choices. (Gr. 8-9)
Recognize and explore diverse perspectives on how work contributes to our community and society. (Gr. 8-9)
Appreciate the value of a network of resources and mentors to assist with career exploration. (Gr. 8-9)

Career Life Education 10 (CLE)

Big ides

Career-life choices are made in a recurring cycle of planning, reflecting, adapting, and deciding.

Content

Career-life development

Self-assessment and reflection strategies

Connections to Community

Inclusive practices, including taking different worldviews and diverse perspectives into consideration

Curricular Competencies

Examine

Examine the influences of personal and public profiles on career-life opportunities

Experience

Identify career-life challenges and opportunities, and generate and apply strategies

Initiate

Explore and reflect on career-life roles, personal growth, and initial planning for preferred career-life pathways.

Assessments

Assess students’ critical thinking skills in the discussions of barriers for women in STEM.
Assess students’ engagement and focus exploring STEM careers and creating a job posting.
Optional: refer to the rubric evaluation tool created for this unit (BCH link to Rubric)
Optional: refer to the specific rubric evaluation tool created for the job posting. (BCH link to Rubric)

Teaching Notes

These teaching notes contain more information about the following topics:

Women and girls in STEM today
Closing the gender gap
Role models

Women and girls in STEM today

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

According to the United Nations, women are typically given smaller research grants than their male colleagues and, while they represent 33.3% of all researchers, only 12% of members of national science academies are women.

In cutting edge fields such as artificial intelligence, only one in five professionals (22%) is a woman.
Despite a shortage of skills in most of the technological fields driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still account for only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and informatics.
Female researchers tend to have shorter, less well-paid careers. Their work is underrepresented in high-profile journals and they are often passed over for promotion.

According to Randstad, one of the top employment agencies in Canada, here is a look at women in STEM careers in 2023:

Women make up less than 25% of people employed in STEM careers. According to Statistics Canada, 34% of Canadians with a STEM degree are women. They make up only 23% of Canadians working in science and technology.
As of 2019, there are over 6.3 million women scientists and engineers in the European Union, representing 43% of STEM employees.
According to research conducted by the United Nations:
- Less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women.
- Nearly 22,000 more women are working as science and engineering technicians than in 2016. However, women still only make up 27% of the total workforce.
- Women make up 42% of the total number of science professionals.
- Women only make up 15% of the total management roles in science, engineering, and technology.

Closing the gender gap

UN Secretary-General Guterres calls for more empowerment for women and girls:

Fewer than 30% of the world’s scientific researchers are women
“Science and innovation can bring life-changing benefits, especially for those who are furthest behind – such as women and girls living in remote areas, the elderly and people with disabilities.”
According to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are published less, paid less for their research and do not advance as far as men in their careers.