By Max Starkov
A recent article on PhocusWire discussed the “woeful gender imbalance” existing in the travel technology space, which is “holding back the whole technology sector.”
I believe the main reason for gender inequality in hospitality technology is the unsatisfactorily role both parents and educators play to foster female interest in STEM sciences and in the technology sectors in hospitality and the economy as a whole.
I am a firm believer that today’s gender inequality in technology has nothing to do with machism or gender discrimination and has everything to do with family upbringing, school education and mass media. Technology recruiters are not some evil, macho-friendly zealots: there are simply not enough female candidates!
A recent U.S. national analysis covering 1.6 million elementary, high school and university students clearly shows that female students get better grades in math and science than male students do at all ages. In the U.S., women earn 57% of all bachelor’s degrees, 59% of all master’s degrees, and 53% of doctoral degrees conferred. Yet:
- Only 12.4% of electrical engineering students are female.
- Women only earn 18% of computer science bachelor’s degrees.
- Only 21.8% of undergraduate engineering students are women.
- Women are only 39% of MBA students in the country.
The result: Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This percentage is far worse in travel and hospitality.
It all begins at home. How many parents have shared with their daughters that the national average salary for recent college graduates in the U.S. is $59,500, while for software engineers it is $147,500? This is more than twice as much! How many educators and high school college counselors have steered their female students toward STEM college degrees and technology careers?
The role of the family is paramount in shaping the future interests and careers of girls. Most interests in culture, literature and science start early on and are part of any girl’s upbringing. Believe me, as the father of two beautiful, very accomplished daughters, I know.
