Influencing factors in women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers

Abstract

Education is considered as the vehicle for progress in countries, especially in those disciplines that promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) since these fields of specialization contribute to innovation and economic development of any society; likewise, they are the ones that demand the largest number of profesional workers worldwide and offer better salaries. Therefore, the opportunity to prepare in these disciplines must be equitable between women and men; however history in our country shows us a low participation of women in STEM áreas, causing an unbalanced in this opportunities. Because of this, this article sets out the objective of analyzing the factors that influence the participation of women in STEM careers at the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Evangélica de El Salvador. The methodology used was a mixed approach (QUAL_CUAN) whose design is sequential, therefore an initial phase of compilation and analysis of qualitative data was carried out, followed by a second phase, where quantitative data was collected and analyzed, being a descriptive scope. As a results of the study, a low female representation in these careers is due to complex and multiple reasons. Four main factors were identified during at different stages of the women life: individual, family, social and economic. In conclusion, it is necessary to establish some mechanisms among
Government, Universities NGOs, and private companies that will guide women to choose this type of careers and will provide them a more secure path regarding their economic, family and social progress.