The Women’s March has brought thousands of people to the US, Canada and across the world, to protest against Donald Trump’s election as US president.
But some people who are trying to get into STEM — and many who are not — are now concerned about their safety.
“There’s been a lot of reports of people being targeted for harassment and discrimination,” said Jessica Lattimore, a co-founder of the nonprofit organization Girls in STEM, which helps girls in the US and Canada get into the STEM fields.
“We’re getting some of our girls who are really excited to go out and start their careers.”
One of the things we’re seeing is that women are not able to take advantage of opportunities in STEM fields and they’re afraid to report it,” she added.
Lattimore says she has heard about harassment of women in STEM and that the government has not done enough to ensure that women have access to opportunities in the field.
The US Department of Labor (DOL) has a long history of being concerned about discrimination against women in the workplace, but Lattique says it has not been able to make progress.”
They’ve been a very proactive employer,” she said.
The agency said in a statement that it was “looking into” the issue and has opened an office for women to report workplace harassment.”
It is important that we recognize and address the systemic issues that contribute to the lack of access to STEM education and workforce training for women and girls,” it said.”DOL is committed to fostering and supporting the advancement of women across our nation and is working with the federal government to ensure access to workforce education and training is not denied to women and other vulnerable groups.
“In Canada, there have been two investigations into the DOL’s response to harassment, but both have not resulted in any action against any employees, the agency said.DOL spokesperson Emily Hauschka says the agency is “working with the Canadian Government and the provinces on ways to provide better opportunities for women in science and technology” and that it is “encouraging the provinces to provide a range of supports to the sector.
“Hauschke said the agency has been “committed to supporting the sectors workforce development, training, and advancement efforts” and is “exploring the possibility of expanding opportunities for youth to participate in STEM in schools.
“In the UK, Prime Minister Theresa May has also promised to bring forward a bill to ensure equal access to science and engineering opportunities for all women.
But it remains unclear what that would look like in the UK.
A spokeswoman for the DCO, which is part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, said there are “a range of measures” being looked at to ensure more opportunities for female and minority employees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).”
We have also set out an ambitious vision for a future where every child in every classroom, regardless of their background, can pursue a career in STEM,” she told CBC News.
