Women who work in STEM jobs are more likely to experience inequality in their workplaces in Texas and around the country. This was one of the key findings from a Pew Research poll conducted in 2017. According to the poll, 50 percent of women respondents who worked in STEM jobs said that they experienced discrimination. Discrimination was defined as actions such as being paid less for similar work or being passed over for important jobs.
This is compared to 41 percent of respondents in other jobs, and only 19 percent of men said that they experienced discrimination at work. Of those who worked in what were labeled as computer jobs, 74 percent of women said that they have been victims of gender discrimination. Only 16 percent of men said that they were discriminated against mainly based on their gender. Men and women also had different opinions as to whether women had a genuine chance to advance in their careers.
Of males who took part in the poll, 77 percent said that women had a fair chance for advancement. Only 44 percent of women said that they felt the same way. Furthermore, the Global Gap Report from the World Economic Forum found that only 20 percent of women over the age of 30 with an ICT degree remained in the tech sector. Hostile workplace culture is often cited as the motivation for leaving.
Discrimination may take many different forms in the workplace. In some cases, an employee may experience wage discrimination or otherwise be treated differently based on his or her gender. Those who feel that they have been treated improperly by their employers may wish to pursue legal remedies. An attorney may be helpful in reviewing a case to determine if employer conduct rose to the level of an employment law violation.
