Many predominantly Muslim countries boast an enviably high proportion of female engineers. Not only are women participating in STEM subjects in much higher numbers than in the West, they are also excelling. But what are the factors drawing them in and, conversely, driving their Western counterparts away?
According to Julie Kmec, WSU distinguished professor of sociology and co-leader of a new $530,000 study of what motivates women to study engineering, a variety of interlocking socio-political elements are at play.
“We have this sort of ‘be happy, follow your dreams’ mentality, coupled with a macro-cultural value system… a system of gender centralism, which essentially is this notion that men are good at this, and women are good at something different,” Kmec said.
“In developing countries, the economy does not necessarily allow people to have a choice. In Pakistan, for example, there are limited roads and bridges, and they get washed out every time there’s a storm. And so the infrastructure of countries that are developing… means people go to study what’s important for their country.”