Gender Shifts in STEM and Care Economy

Why it’s time to use reskilling to unlock women’s STEM potential: "Women make up just 28% of the global STEM workforce and only 22% of artificial intelligence (AI) professionals. Left unaddressed, this deficit will restrict innovation and economic growth during the reskilling revolution. Fostering collaboration, cultivating mentorship and delivering tailored solutions to country-specific challenges will close the STEM gender gap. Reskilling provides an opportunity to rethink how we are planning for the future of work. We must reconsider not only how we work, but who works. If the Fourth Industrial Revolution is rewriting the rules of work, now is the time to rewrite the rules of opportunity. Enrolment among women in STEM-related university programs has stagnated over the past decade, with the causes of this disparity differing across industries and regions. If left unaddressed, however, it will compound reskilling challenges that are already expected to cost G20 countries more than $11 trillion over the coming decade. Multiple inspiring stories have shown how these barriers can be broken. Ritu Karidhal, one of the 'rocket women' of the Indian Space Research Organization has inspired a rise in the number of women pursuing STEM fields in India. And she is not alone: From Esraa Tarawneh’s work on mitigating flash floods that's helped multiple communities tackle one of our century’s largest environmental threats, to Ayanna Howard’s assistive technologies that are revolutionizing accessibility for children with disabilities, women are pioneering ground-breaking innovations. Gender-diverse teams are also more profitable and productive. Companies in which female representation exceeds 30% are significantly more likely to financially outperform those with less. Gender diverse R&D teams are also more likely to introduce new innovations into the market over a two-year period. The case for closing the gender divide in STEM is clear, but it will persist without deliberate interventions. Women face a variety of barriers to accessing STEM fields and solutions must reflect this reality. In some regions, there will be a need to break stereotypes that dissuade girls from pursuing science. Elsewhere, the challenge will be infrastructure and ensuring access to resources and learning tools. Addressing these intersectional challenges demands localized strategies, which are essential for creating interventions that have enduring impact." Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eryKvFxp #MentorMonth #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels

𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟯𝗫 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀. As per a recent report published by the UN, in high-income countries, women are 3X more likely than men to hold jobs at high risk of automation. Worldwide, in formal workplaces more women than men hold jobs like admin assistants, secretaries, bank tellers, data entry staff, customer service. For millions of women, these are not job roles, these are their lifelines. They provide women- - their first step into the formal economy.  - a source of financial independence. - a stable income that keeps families afloat. - and a dignified path to self-worth. When these roles vanish, women are going to lose access to job market, they will lose their agency and would run a risk of losing their security. When we talk about AI coming for your job, it's mostly women who are going to be swept by automation. Agreed, AI will boost productivity. That's the promise. But as Ray Dalio warns, we may be entering a “great deleveraging” where tech outpaces our ability to transition people fast enough. Especially for women. That threat from AI runs deeper than this. First, 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Women are underrepresented in STEM, data science and AI development a such. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. The resulting products ate those which don’t even serve half the population well. Or worse, actively disadvantage them. STEM and AI-related fields are where the highest-paying, most secure and most influential jobs are being created. With fewer women in these roles, the gender wealth gap widens. Then there’s the perennial hidden bias of the recruitment process that women have to fight. Some AI recruitment tools already filter out resumes with “women-coded” language. In developing countries, the danger runs equally deep. A limited digital access means the gap widens even more. Women lack access to training, tools and a chance to compete. Therefore, with automation of manual repetitive jobs, it is not simply about who gets hired or who remains in job. It is more about who gets to participate in the economy of the future. The brunt of this will be borne mostly by women. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗜-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗜𝗧 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. #womenintech #futureofwork #AI #digitalinclusion Anthropia Margareth Goldenberg

Did you know that honeybees can teach us a thing or two about computer science! Honeybees use a "waggle dance" to tell each other where to find flowers. This dance inspired the "Bee Algorithm" in AI, which helps computers solve complex problems by efficiently searching for the best solutions. It’s amazing how biology sparks engineering's hottest innovations—like self-cleaning surfaces and gecko-grip robots, and even fuel-efficient airplane designs inspired by shark skin! Despite being an engineering powerhouse, biology often gets labeled as "soft science," while engineering and technology are seen as "hard sciences" with a masculine connotation. These stereotypes contribute to why women are more prevalent in biology fields than in engineering and technology sectors. Why the gender gap? Stereotypes, lack of exposure, and unconscious biases in hiring. Women who do enter these fields often find themselves in male-dominated teams, making it challenging to voice their opinions and perspectives. How can we close the gap? ◈ Mentorship Programs: Initiatives like the Vigyan Jyoti Scheme by India DST, STEM for Girls by IBM, IEEE Women in Engineering and VigyanShaala International's Kalpana - She for STEM are crucial. These programs expose girls to female role models and mentors in engineering and technology, providing career intelligence and inspiration. ◈ Media Campaigns: We need campaigns that shift the narrative. Highlighting the career journeys and real-world impact of women in engineering and technology fields can combat stereotypes. Imagine seeing women building robots, designing video games, or leading engineering projects on mainstream media. ◈ Flexible Work Arrangements: Companies need to promote flexible work options like remote work, compressed workweeks, or staggered hours. This allows employees to manage personal commitments without sacrificing career goals. Companies like Automattic (WordPress), Dropbox, and Microsoft already allow such flexibility. ◈ Supportive Policies: Investing in on-site childcare facilities, robust parental leave policies, and employee resource groups (ERGs) focused on women in STEM can create a supportive environment that eases the burden of balancing work and family. Organizations like Intel Corporation and Accenture have already started taking these steps. ◈ Shift Focus: Instead of highlighting long hours as a badge of honor, companies should demonstrate their commitment to employee well-being and a sustainable work pace. What more can we do to level the playing field in STEM, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to excel? How can we ensure that women in tech are not just participants but leaders? Would love to know your thoughts and experiences! #WomenInSTEM #GenderEquality #DiversityInTech #STEMEducation #GenderEquity

Key Highlights from the Global Assessment of Care Services Report 📌 The Care Economy is a Game-Changer - Investing in care services generates more jobs than traditional infrastructure—creating 2.5 times more jobs than the same investment in construction. - Women gain up to 90% of new jobs in care services, reducing gender employment gaps. 📌 Childcare Investments Boost Economies & Gender Equality -Providing quality, affordable childcare could reduce the gender pay gap by 8.6% globally ($527 billion). -In LMICs, 75% of care work is done by women, limiting their participation in paid work. -Countries investing in early childhood care see higher employment rates and economic growth. 📌 The Urgent Need for Long-Term Care (LTC) -Aging populations & disability care gaps demand urgent action—80% of people with disabilities live in LMICs with little to no LTC services. -Unpaid eldercare burdens women in 67-89% of households in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 📌 Financing the Future of Care - Investment in care services is self-sustaining—tax revenues can offset up to 77% of costs. -Governments must prioritize care services over austerity policies for sustainable economic growth. 📌 Policy Actions Needed ✔ Regulate and expand childcare & eldercare services ✔ Increase state investment in care infrastructure ✔ Ensure decent wages & conditions for care workers ✔ Promote shared responsibility for care between men & women Care services are not a cost but a wise investment for economic and social prosperity. #CareEconomy #InvestInCare #GenderEquality #WomensEconomicEmpowerment #ChildcareMatters