In the quest to promote women in STEM, academics and activists may sometimes inadvertently overstate the ubiquity of bias and discrimination against women in this sector. An unintended consequence may be to scare away some women who would otherwise be interested in a STEM career... If women are given the impression that the STEM workplace is a hotbed of sexism and an unwelcome place for women, many might quite understandably decide to look for other fields in which to make their mark.

being the only Latina in most of my science classes and certainly not having any Latinos, let alone Latinas to look up to in terms of mentors, kind of put it upon me to do better, to represent my community. So that's tough. So you kind of have to do both. You have to represent your community at the same time. You want to hold your own as a scientist and not feel like you're going to only be doing research that affects your community.

There are many young scientists, young women, people of color or who grew up like me, who don't yet have a clear path. I hope to inspire them that there's room for them in science, that they can help people and be recognized for the work that they do.

Women should be encouraged to fully participate in the development of STEM, and take key positions in science matters in government as it will ensure the implementation of strategies for improving the participation of women in the development of science.

Historically and even today, women contribute a lot to the STEM industry and don't really get the credit they deserve.

Inclusion is important because science needs talent, it needs dedicated people, and it does not matter it they are men or women, of different ethnicities, or anything. It is important to have youths aimed at a career in sciences and technology because it is our future.

[T]he evidence for discrimination in STEM is considerably more mixed than is often assumed. Certainly, many studies have found evidence of anti-female discrimination in STEM. At the same time, however, many other studies have failed to find such discrimination, or have found discrimination in favour of women.

While I believe that schools are key players when it comes to inspiring more women to join technology, I also believe that it needs to be a collective effort to encourage and inspire women to join Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, (STEM). With the 4th Industrial Revolution catching up on us, it is only wise to have more women embrace technology,

Growing up I felt underrepresented in mainstream media. I knew that someday I was going to change that by holding space for those that felt as I did. As women, those of color, and LGBTQ people, we’re often silenced while others speak as experts on our experiences. No one can tell our stories better than we can.

Despite the fame of Fossey and the other Trimates, women, and particularly African women, are still underrepresented in science. We are taking numerous initiatives to strengthen our programs for women in science, including establishing a scholarship fund, as well as aiming to have equal representation of women in our livelihoods and food security work that takes place in the communities living near the gorillas," adds Stoinski. "It is wonderful to be able to extend Dian's legacy in this special way, perhaps not one that she would have expected.

[W]e should strive to eliminate bias and barriers of every kind... What we would argue, though, is that even if this were achieved, STEM gender gaps would be unlikely to disappear given persistent sex differences in interests and other STEM-relevant traits – differences plausibly due in part to biological causes. The question, then, is: Would this necessarily be a problem? In our view, as long as unjust impediments are removed, and everyone is invited, it would not be. On the contrary, it would be unfortunate if, for all the talk of celebrating differences and diversity, we ultimately came to insist that justice requires sameness.

I want to inspire girls in STEM to believe that it is possible to pursue a fulfilling career in any scientific discipline.

Math and science need to be made more hospitable places for women. And women need all the growth mindset they can get to take their rightful places in these fields.

Most women do not want a career in STEM and nor do most men. Why should the small fraction of women who do want such a career be the same size as the small fraction of men? To put it another way, as long as everyone has the opportunity to pursue a STEM career, and as long as the selection process is fair, why would it be important to get as many women as men into jobs that fewer women want?