BMC Launches “Control-M for Her” to Promote Women in STEM

Information technology company BMC Software, launched the “Control-M for Her” event to promote female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). During the event, representatives from various companies shared their experiences in STEM and the challenges they faced to reach management positions and achieve equal opportunities. 

Women represent only 35% of those pursuing higher education in STEM and less than 30% of scientific researchers. Of STEM graduates, only 12% are women employers. These gaps reduce the possibilities for innovation to address current and future challenges and shine a light on the world’s vast technological inequality. 

According to the Public Policy Research Center (IMCO), when entering the labor market, women who studied STEM careers tend to earn more and face a smaller wage gap: 18% in contrast to 22% for professionals in other areas. The STEM wage gap can be partly explained by the type of jobs each gender chooses. Women are more likely to be clerks or to teach, while men tend to occupy positions in industrial plants. In Mexico, for every 100 men only 61.5 women are incorporated into the National System of Researchers (SNI). Despite their relevance, women are still invisible in several STEM fields, according to UN Women.

“Ensuring lifelong learning and quality education for girls and women in line with technological and scientific advances is one of the areas of concern raised in the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals,” says UN Women. In Mexico, in 2020, for every 100 men enrolled in careers in engineering, manufacturing and construction, there were 45 women. In jobs related to computer science, there are only 31 women for every 100 men enrolled.

During the event Control-M for Her, women in the STEM sector from various companies discussed the challenges they faced and proposed measures to address this problem, including:

1. Adding a gender focus to science and technology content in basic education programs.

2. Implement vocational orientation programs starting in secondary school so students can make more informed and data-based decisions about their higher education. These can include mentoring and activities that break down stereotypes.

3. Build the capacity of state and federal governments, higher education institutions and workplaces to collect gender-sensitive STEM data that can be used to design more precise actions.

STEM fields face challenges to discover, attract and drive female talent. And although there is still much to do, initiatives that support and encourage the participation of women in the sector are a good start. To boost the presence of women in STEM, the influence of the environment, the attitude toward new challenges and self-confidence are critical.