Mastercard Findings on Women's Interest in STEM Careers

Mastercard has released its second report titled "Girls in Tech", this time focusing on the satisfaction of female workers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. One interesting conclusion is that 72 percent of workers in the STEM field in Indonesia are very satisfied with their current careers. Meanwhile, the participation rate of girls in Indonesia (aged 15-19 years) in the STEM field is the second highest in the Asia Pacific region.

The results obtained in this study are based on interviews that took place in December 2016 with a total of 2.270 women aged 12-25 years in six countries in the Asia Pacific region, including Indonesia.

Between first jobber who graduated from college with a STEM degree, 84 percent found their first job in less than six months, while 60 percent of these graduates were very satisfied with the job options they had after graduation.

In addition, 63 percent of young women surveyed said that they tend to stay in STEM-related fields in their careers. Lots of opportunities to learn, grow and progress, as well as passion their interest in the STEM field is the main factor that respondents choose to continue their career in the STEM field.

Condition of STEM enthusiasts among Indonesian women

In Indonesia, the majority of STEM graduates work in fields that match their degree (84 percent work in STEM fields). They say that passion (50 percent) and challenges (47 percent) are the main reasons for working in a STEM field. Their thoughts when deciding to choose a job were high pay (82 percent), working with smart people (82 percent), job security (79 percent) and the suitability of the job to their interests (79 percent).

Meanwhile, although the participation of girls aged 12-19 years in the STEM field is one of the highest in the Asia Pacific region, compared to other countries, Indonesia is the closest country to closing the gender gap. (gender gaps). Only 26% of girls in Indonesia (compared to 39% on average in the region) stated that girls were less likely to choose STEM subjects when pursuing higher education than boys.

Women's concerns and expectations in the technology-based world of work

Among the adolescent girls surveyed, 30 percent of those aged 17-19 said they would not choose a job in a STEM field even if they studied a subject in that field. Meanwhile, girls aged 12-19 said they would continue to hold the perception that STEM subjects were difficult (39 percent) and that STEM careers were gender-biased, with two out of five girls believing few girls chose STEM subjects due to the perception that STEM jobs are dominated by men.

When asked about things that can attract girls to pursue STEM careers, girls aged 17-19 years stated that scholarships (38 percent), women who have succeeded in STEM fields and are their role models (34 percent) and strong support from schools and institutions (32 percent) as their top three motivations. First jobber in the STEM field feel that previous exposure to STEM careers through social opportunities or networking (43 percent), internships (36 percent) and career fairs (35 percent) will help to prepare them better for their current condition.

Three in five first jobber surveyed stated that job suitability for women is a criterion when they are looking for work, while 46 percent believe that in their current organization, men are paid more than women for the same position.

Between first jobber STEM workers who consider working in a non-STEM field, concerns about lack of exposure to commercial matters (36 percent), long working hours (36 percent) and gender/gender suitability (33 percent) are the main reasons that encourage them to do that. 42 percent of first jobber STEM believes that we need to change society's perception of STEM in order to attract the next generation of women to pursue STEM careers.