The uphill climb (that feels more like a maze sometimes)

Let’s be real — whenever someone mentions Women STEM, half the people nod like, “Oh yeah, that’s important,” and then scroll back to cat videos or crypto memes. But honestly, it is important — and not in the boring brochure way. STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) isn’t just about lab coats and code. It’s about power. Influence. Shaping the future. And women? They’ve been knocking on that door for decades, sometimes politely, sometimes with a full-on battering ram.

I remember being in college, sitting in a computer lab where I was literally the only woman. It wasn’t awkward exactly — more like being an extra in a movie where everyone else got the script. When I asked a question, the guy next to me actually said, “You’re surprisingly good at this.” I mean, thanks? But also… what?

That’s kinda the tone women in STEM deal with every day — this weird mix of “we support you” and “wow, didn’t expect that.”

Numbers that don’t lie (but also don’t tell the full story)

You’ve probably seen the stat that women make up around 28% of the STEM workforce in the U.S. Sounds okay-ish until you realize how uneven it is. Women flood biology and healthcare, but when it comes to computer science or engineering? It’s like a ghost town. And even when women are in those spaces, they’re often paid less, promoted slower, and — fun fact — are twice as likely to quit within 10 years.

There’s this one lesser-known stat from a Microsoft report (2018, I think) that said girls’ interest in STEM drops by 30% between ages 15 and 17. That’s like — boom — just as they’re deciding on college paths. What happens? Well, a mix of “you don’t look like a coder” energy, boring teaching, and not enough role models on TikTok or YouTube who make tech seem cool and doable.

The culture problem that no one wants to call out

You know how some office cultures say they’re “inclusive,” but the vibe still screams “tech bro energy”? Yeah. That’s the unspoken part. Women in STEM often have to work twice as hard to be heard in meetings where their ideas are later repeated by some guy named Chad who gets all the credit. And then HR sends out a “Women in Tech Appreciation Week” email with a pink logo and a cupcake emoji. Cute.

There’s been a bit of a shift though, mostly from social media. Twitter (well, X now… whatever), LinkedIn, and even Instagram have become like mini communities for women sharing their coding fails, NASA internship selfies, or robotics wins. That kind of visibility hits differently — it says, “Hey, this is normal now.”

A small story, because why not

I once met a software engineer who told me she almost dropped out of her degree because her professor never called on her during discussions. “He said I looked distracted,” she said, laughing, “but I was the only one answering his questions on Slack.” Now she runs a coding bootcamp for girls, and the funny part? Her old professor applied to teach there. Life, man.

The shift that’s actually happening (quietly but surely)

Companies are finally realizing that diversity in STEM isn’t just PR fluff — it literally makes them more money. Mixed teams solve problems faster and design better stuff. I saw a Reddit thread where someone said, “Adding women to your dev team is like adding an actual test group for how humans use your product.” Brutal, but kinda true.

We still have a long way to go though. Mentorship, visibility, flexible work setups — those are the real game changers, not just hashtags and “women empowerment” webinars.