"Gender Stereotypes and The Pursuit in STEM fields" by Shawn James Maravilla

The gapped representation of Filipino women in the world of Science and Math has been intact  since the 18th century. Women are still underrepresented in STEM fields, which is a problem for women's  empowerment in the country. The concept of "Gender Stereotypes" imprinted itself in the mindsets of  many generations. It affects the dreams and passions of children. It sets expectations that limit the  potential growth of our next successors. Expectations that, in the eyes of society, determine what is  suitable, ought, and standard for youths that will soon be part of the labor force. The limitation granted  by this perspective on gender ends up being a hurdle for many students to achieve their desired purpose  in society; they are either forced to stop due to inequality, belittled, or derailed from their passions  because of discrimination, which weakened their capability to perform in the industry. 

Today, gender stereotypes have been amplified by the media and culture of the country. Many of  these are being watched by millions of children nationwide, influencing their perspective on how society  perceives gender. Many forms of media content show how boys often portray the duty of an engineer or  an engineer. Girls, on the other hand, are usually represented as artists, housewives, or nurses. This small  form of gender stereotyping by the media can lead and contribute to the retainment in education,  representation in STEM-related fields, and the pursuit of careers. Often many children, particularly girls,  are discouraged to pursue other careers, such as IT or engineering, due to the lack of representation of  women portrayed by media in STEM fields. 

Gender stereotypes in the Philippines have been a matter of discussion both locally and globally.  The problem is largely concerned with the imbalance in the number of female STEM graduates against  male graduates. In recent years, publications on the lesser chance of women receiving a bachelor's degree  in STEM-related topics compared to male STEM graduates have emphasized this imbalance. As a result,  males are involved and implemented more strongly towards STEM jobs than women. Women in the  country have fallen behind in STEM sectors when compared to many other countries where female  representation in STEM has steadily improved. 

One of the primary causes of a substantial gender gap in the STEM area is the categorization of  men and women into observed variations in vocations based on sex. Women and men are not equally  represented in STEM-intensive occupations because they do not have equal access to this employment owing to the demanding prerequisites of these studies or because there are no influencers, mentors, or  "cultural norms" with whom they may identify and be inspired. Many women abandoned their goals of  becoming scientists or engineers because they were discouraged from following their interest due to a  lack of understanding and support from everyone around them. Women have lower interest in STEM  fields due to a lack of encouragement from family members, lack of motivation due to constant rejections  from recruiters, and sexual harassment from peers. It leads to a negative impact on women's access to  education, their retention in STEM fields, and eventually, their ability to compete in the work force. 

This continuous cycle of discouragement caused by a lack of representation, as well as a lack of  women's engagement and study of STEM disciplines owing to gender preconceptions, would slow the  country's growth, leaving many women uneducated. Currently, cultural attitudes that create gender  disparities and injustice in these professions are preventing us from creating a good environment for  women's empowerment.

We may break this cycle by removing the restricting habits and values that are taught to us in our  culture so that there are no constraints for the children and their potential growth is maximized. We need  to recognize more women in STEM careers so we can create a better environment of inspiration for  younger women. We must balance our ideas on gender roles for masculine and feminine traits and  remove the divide between them to ensure more exposure to career choices for both genders without  doubting or discriminating against each other.