From ancient thinkers to modern astronomers, we have always been curious about what lies beyond our planet. Although many have made discoveries about what lies beyond the stars, space exploration has always been a very male-dominated field. Many of the names in astronomy’s hall of fame are the names of men. However, countless women have also been inspired by the skies above. Women too have taken considerable strides in space exploration, although their male counterparts have often overshadowed their achievements. Although films like Hidden Figures have begun to spotlight female contributions to astronomy, we still have a long way to go in order for the gender gap to be bridged in this field.
According to a series of surveys done by the American Institute of Physics, 33% of astronomy bachelor’s degrees were held by women in 2017, compared to 40% of astronomy doctorates earned in that same year. The same group of surveys reported that 40% of new astronomy faculty members were women in 2014, compared to 19% in 2013- and this number is increasing. Although most gender-based salary differences are evident in their careers progress, it’s worth mentioning that there are no significant salary differences between male and female graduates when they first enter the field. When asked about the reasons for these differences, most respondents claimed it was a lack of female representation in the field and that most women had to make difficult choices between their personal and professional life.
After all this, most of you must be asking why this issue matters. Regardless of all the reasons you can give, they all boil down to one thing- we can’t do what we can’t visualize ourselves doing. A 2017 study conducted by Microsoft claimed that girls lose interest in STEM and the humanities (possibly all academics in general) by age 11, but recover some humanities interest by age 15. This study points out that there’s a tiny window of time (ages 5 or 6 to 11 or 12) for parents, teachers, and the community to nurture interest in STEM in girls before it disappears for good. By forcing girls to grow up in a gender construct that pushes them away from STEM, we’d be losing countless brilliant individuals, great discoveries, and opportunities.
Although this pressing problem may seem very distant from those of us who aren’t astronomers, there are many ways that we can help. One way is for us to start highlighting the achievements of women in astronomy, something that hit film Hidden Figures tried and succeeded in doing. Another way we can help increase female representation in astronomy is to have more hands-on science programs in schools, especially for younger children, in order to nurture their interest in STEM.
By starting conversations about female representation in astronomy, we will be taking essential steps into a future where astronomy is equal for all.
Sources:
"Women In Physics And Astronomy, 2019". Aip.Org, 2020, https://www.aip.org/statistics/reports/women-physics-and-astronomy-2019.
"Women In Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide". Astrosociety.Org, 2020, https://astrosociety.org/education-outreach/resource-guides/women-in-astronomy-an-introductory-resource-guide.html.
"The Contributions Of Women To Astronomy And Space Exploration". Actforlibraries.Org, 2020, http://www.actforlibraries.org/the-contributions-of-women-to-astronomy-and-space-exploration/.
“Female Heroes in STEM: The Importance of Representation.” Me3D, 2018, https://me3d.com.au/2017/female-heroes-in-stem-the-importance-of-representation/
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