Why girls underperform in science

Study Finds Girls Want STEM Careers, But Are Unsure if They're Smart Enough: “ROX just released the latest version of its study, The Girls' Index, which examines girls' experiences, behaviors, and aspirations. The findings are grim regarding girls and STEM careers. Despite a growing interest in STEM fields, girls' confidence in their abilities is declining. Only 59% feel they're proficient in math and science—a decrease from 73% in 2017. And, 58% of high school girls believe they are not smart enough to pursue their dream job, an increase from 46% in 2017. ‘This isn't about ability,’ says Lisa Hinkelman, PhD, founder and CEO of ROX and author of The Girls' Index. ‘It's about perception and confidence. Girls are internalizing messages from society, media, and even well-meaning adults that subtly, but persistently, undermine their belief in their STEM capabilities. They're navigating a minefield of societal pressures, with a staggering 89% reporting pressure to fit into specific roles and stereotypes.’ This confidence gap the ROX study uncovered is exacerbated by a lack of visible role models in STEM and persistent stereotypes about who ‘belongs’ in these fields, says Dr. Hinkelman. ‘Even when girls [excel] academically in math and science, they often aren't encouraged to see themselves as future STEM leaders.’ The issue is that while girls' interest in STEM is growing, their belief in their ability to succeed in these fields is shrinking, she says. ‘This disconnect is not just a personal issue for these girls—it's a societal loss. We're at risk of missing out on a generation of innovative thinkers and problem solvers simply because they don't believe they're smart enough.’” Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eT7B2puT #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels

“Systematic bullying and undermining of girls and women in STEM starts early on and is the reason why they do not stay in science and related fields.”  – proposition nr. 6 that accompanied my PhD thesis.   Whenever I shared with my male colleagues that I did not always feel welcome or safe in the predominantly male field that I worked in, I was always met with disbelief. “I don’t feel like that’s true” I would hear from the man sitting in front of me when I shared the numbers, the proven trends and the systemic biases that I got from the literature. Then, when I chose to share my personal and painful anecdotes of things that had happened to me, I got told that that was bad but also that it is “not all men” and maybe they didn’t mean it like that. More out of frustration than anything else, I chose to add an extra section to my thesis next to the acknowledgements, a section for my “anti acknowledgements”.  My goal here was not to blame individual people. I just wanted to prove the point of my 6th proposition: I had been told explicitly and implicitly that I shouldn’t be a scientist often enough that it had eaten away at my confidence and joy. When I said I didn't feel welcome, this is what I meant. I am sad to say that if I were to leave science, this would be my biggest reason for that. And I know for a fact that I am not alone. If we want to create a welcoming scientific environment for every person, we have to actively champion the people who currently do not make up a representative part of the scientific community. It is not enough to just not be mean to people, because the truth is that there are plenty of people who will. If we want to keep women and girls in science, we all have to actively take part in welcoming them, including them and cheering them on from the start. In a world full of Warners, be an Elle Woods.

Girls start school just as capable in math. So why does the gender gap widen within months? This chart is both fascinating and troubling. It tracks all children in France who began school in 2018. At the start, boys and girls scored similarly in mathematics. But just four months in, boys begin to pull ahead. By the start of the second year, the gap is no longer subtle—it’s systemic. The data points to a hard truth: the gender gap in math isn’t innate. It’s learned. Girls are subtly (and not so subtly) steered away from math from the earliest stages of education. The result? Fewer girls in STEM, fewer women in high-earning tech roles, and yet another pipeline problem that starts before they even learn multiplication. For those of us advising on leadership, equity, and talent strategy, this matters. Because the solution isn’t just in university quotas or boardroom targets. It starts in the classroom. The future of innovation demands that we rethink how we educate and who we empower—early. #Leadership #STEM #Education #GenderEquity #WomenInTech #FutureOfWork

𝗔𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟱 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘀, 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀. ❓ 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀❓ 👉 Parents are 2x more likely to believe their sons are gifted than their daughters. 👉 Girls are 3x less likely to be given a science-related toy to play with. 👉 By age 7, girls think boys are smarter than them. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 by teaching them early on that 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. This self-doubt then creates a gap between their dreams and what they believe they can achieve, causing the 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗚𝗮𝗽 🌙. The 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗚𝗮𝗽 is a term coined by Mattel (yes, the Barbie company!) but based on fundamental research that shows how societal stereotypes limit girls' aspirations. 🚨 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 🚨 If girls grow up questioning their potential, how can we expect them to step into leadership roles with confidence? The Dream Gap is not just a girls issue—it’s a 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. 𝗕𝗶𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀. All the trainings for women, company regulations, and quotas are necessary—don’t get me wrong. But if we, as a society, keep holding girls back with our 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀 and the narratives we tell ourselves, there cannot be equal opportunities. “𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙩.” 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 are crucial in shaping the way girls see themselves and their potential. And it seems like not only 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀—𝘄𝗲, 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻-𝘂𝗽𝘀, 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼𝗼 —to believe in our girls and their limitless possibilities. That’s why our #LeadershipRedefined movement is focused on showcasing these role models—because seeing what’s possible is the first step to closing the Dream Gap and inspiring the next generation. PS: Shoutout to Mattel for using their power to create awareness around this. #NewEraOfLeaders #thefemalefactor the female factor