SarahBeth Hartlage: Why Should Women Pursue Careers in STEM?

Updated on May 1, 2020

Software engineering is one of the most common professions within science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. However, STEM is not just about computers and engineering, it is also intrinsically tied to the healthcare industry. During the current COVID-19 crisis, the world is facing unprecedented challenges that require specific solutions from knowledge specific to STEM fields. In order to solve these problems, universities, companies, and labs worldwide must utilize their brightest minds and tap into their pool of talent. Unfortunately, within STEM, women, compared to their male counterparts, make up a small minority. Only about 25% of women work in STEM jobs, and within STEM leadership, the percentage is even less. 

SarahBeth Hartlage, a STEM career expert, says that it is crucial we empower women in STEM. Let’s look at some of the many reasons it is important to empower women in STEM.

To Increase the quality of the STEM workforce

Prioritizing Innovation and development can ensure that a country stays ahead in the global economy. But to do this, countries must make use of all their assets, including people. Right now, women’s involvement in science, technology, engineering, and math is fairly low, indicating that countries are not doing enough to utilize the full potential of their people. If countries encourage women to enter these fields, the quality of the STEM workforce will increase and improve dramatically.

To gain a broader perspective

When great minds come together, their combined diverse experiences and vast knowledge, can result in remarkable innovation. As an example, National Geographic says that the transformation the healthcare industry has undergone in recent years exemplifies the reason more women should be involved in scientific fields of study. Early healthcare scientific studies focused on men, so they didn’t meet the needs of women. This focus on men negatively impacted women and placed them at a considerable disadvantage in terms of healthcare. In severe cases, this oversight even led to the death of many women simply because the healthcare industry was not tailored to meet their needs. However, things changed with the emergence of women in healthcare professions. This change influenced the entire healthcare industry. Quickly, people realized that gender is an essential factor in healthcare studies. Finally, with new innovation led to a broader perspective which benefited the healthcare industry as a whole.

For economic stability

Surveys by Bank of America and Goldman Sachs suggest that companies with a higher percentage of women in the workforce tend to do better than their competitors with less women in the workforce. So from a business perspective, it makes sense to hire more women. As companies realize the value of inclusivity and diversity, they may allocate better pay to workers overall. Higher pay and decreased gender-based wage discrimination not only benefits women, who have historically been paid less than their male counterparts, but also benefits society as a whole because it helps the global economy. 

These are only a few of the many reasons why women need to take up STEM jobs, specifically those related to the healthcare industry. If you would like to pursue a STEM career, you can look to trailblazers of medicine and healthcare as a source of inspiration. If you choose this field, you can also become an example for future generations. Perhaps, you might even mentor them. This cycle of inspiration and mentorship can lead to growth and a better future overall. 

Many companies and individuals have come together to motivate young women to pursue work in STEM fields. If you set your mind to it, you, too, can pursue a career in STEM.

Author Bio – Mary Bell is a professional radiologist. Her interests include working out, trekking and learning about new innovations in radiology. She is a successful professional and takes inspiration from experts like SarahBeth Hartlage, an expert on women in STEM. On her blog, she writes about the latest innovations in radiology innovations and issues that women face in their daily lives.

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.