Mental health struggles can happen to anyone. Being in a negative situation for too long is bound to have its effects, and sometimes it takes a lot of work to undo that damage. In many cases, mental health struggles are a result of one specific situation, or a toxic boss or co-worker, something easy to pinpoint. In STEM, that can be true, but even more so, women have seen a higher rate of mental health struggles because of more industry-wide issues. There’s still a stigma, in some places, that women don’t belong in STEM professions or that women are not going to be as smart or as well-educated as men.
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Topics:
Gender Balance, STEM,
STEM,
Gender Balance,
Communication,
Community,
Choice,
Resilience,
Mentoring,
Coaching,
Culture,
Networking,
Discussion,
Mindfulness,
Change,
Collaboration,
Emotional Intelligence,
Self-Awareness,
Empathy,
Gender Pay Gap,
Confidence,
Challenges,
Career Development,
Empowerment,
Mentor,
Inclusion,
Diversity,
Organizational Culture,
Corporate Culture,
D&I,
Gender Parity,
Equity,
STEM Women,
STEM Leadership,
Female Representation STEM,
Hiring Women in STEM,
Strong Women
In 1920, women earned the right to vote. In 1963,
congress passed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, protecting women from being paid a lower rate than men for substantially similar work. As part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it became illegal to discriminate in employment based on race, sex, color, religion, and national origin. It’s now 2023 and women have been making progress towards equality in the workplace for over 100 years now. While there’s still room for major improvements, women have come a long way in the workplace.
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Topics:
Gender Balance, STEM,
STEM,
Gender Balance,
Women,
Career,
Women in STEM,
Annual Theme,
Equal Pay,
Change,
Making a Difference,
Gender Pay Gap,
Challenges,
Career Development,
Organizational Culture,
D&I,
Gender Parity,
Equity,
Organizational Change,
STEM Women,
STEM Leadership,
Female Representation STEM,
Hiring Women in STEM,
International Women's Day,
Women's History Month,
Strong Women,
Strong World
Recently, YW Boston collaborated with WEST (Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology), a Boston-based learning community that provides a powerful forum and supportive environment for early and mid-career women in STEM. Both organizations work at the intersection of race and gender and seek to uplift women and women of color. In a recent Zoom call, YW Boston President and CEO, Beth Chandler, was interviewed by Elena Spencer, Vice President of WEST’s Board of Directors. In the candid conversation, Beth and Elena discussed various topics, including how to support women in STEM, YW Boston’s Parity on Board, and returning to the office.
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Topics:
Leadership,
Community,
#MemberSpotlight,
Career Development,
D&I,
Business Development,
Female Representation STEM
While we hoped that the COVID-19 Pandemic would come to a full close before the start of 2022, it has lingered on. The effects of this continue to impact how we work, where we work, the world we work and live in, our personal lives and relationships, and so much more. In addition to this, we have seen history come crashing down in Ukraine as the people of Ukraine have had to flee, some even separating from their families to offer the best protection they can for their children.
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Topics:
Announcements,
Science,
Community,
Giving Back,
Global,
Culture,
Annual Theme,
Professional,
Connect,
Collaboration,
Confidence,
Polarities,
Leaders,
Empowerment,
Advocate,
Inclusion,
Self-Reflection,
Diversity,
#WESTorg,
Organizational Culture,
STEM Women,
Female Representation STEM,
Strong Women,
Strong World
I have been thinking a lot about the success of women who work in Engineering, Science, and Technology from a post-pandemic lens. As more and more women considered dropping back, or out of the workforce in the past two years, I began to wonder what strategies and behaviors could be used to keep them in their professional careers. There is a large body of work dedicated to uncovering research behind women in the workforce and their reasons for leaving yet not much has been written about the support systems women have that enable their rise in the workforce to be successful. I decided to interview a couple of women in engineering, science, and technology to learn a little bit more about the workforce policies that helped them rise and the kinds of people that have lifted, mentored, or supported them along their journey including both professionally and personally.
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Topics:
Gender Balance, STEM,
Gender Balance,
Career,
Interview,
Work Life Balance,
Success,
Network,
Inspire,
Mom,
Leader,
Women in STEM,
Working Remotely,
Professional,
Relationships,
Resources,
Solutions,
Connect,
Career Path,
Values,
Support,
Impact,
Career Possibilities,
Empowerment,
New Opportunities,
Learn,
Inclusion,
Diversity,
#WESTorg,
Parenting,
Equity,
STEM Women,
Female Representation STEM,
Hiring Women in STEM,
Experience,
Ally,
Allyship,
Strategies,
Reflect, Reimagine, Emerge Stronger
I had the opportunity to sit down with certified coach, Kim Meninger in an incredible conversation about women in the workplace, allyship, diversity, equity, inclusion, and the upcoming WEST event that Kim is leading next month. In only a few short minutes it was clear that Kim had plenty of experience in the field with allyship.
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Topics:
Upcoming Events,
Learn,
Bias,
Inclusion,
Diversity,
#WESTevent,
#WESTorg,
Equity,
Female Representation STEM,
Ally,
Allyship,
Strategies
On December 9, 2021 at 6:15 p.m., WEST is hosting a free panel discussion to help answer questions like, "what does it mean to be 'the science type'?" and, "how can you recognize your strengths and interests?" Whether you're in high school and beginning to think about your college and career options or an adult pursuing your career as a scientist, this discussion of learning, recognizing your talents, handling adversity, and helping others pursue their own talents will have something for you. You can sign up to join the discussion on WEST's website.
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Topics:
Gender Balance, STEM,
Gender Balance,
Women,
Science,
Career,
Community,
Mentoring,
Success,
Inspire,
Women in STEM,
Upcoming Events,
Innovation,
Professional,
Discussion,
Resources,
Interactive,
Change,
Making a Difference,
Tools,
Inspiration,
Career Path,
Leading Ourselves,
Self-Awareness,
Empathy,
Focus,
Insight,
Personal Branding,
Strengths,
Values,
Support,
Storytelling,
Impact,
Career Development,
Own It,
Empowerment,
Mentor,
Learn,
Outreach,
Advocate,
Stereotypes,
Inclusion,
Self-Reflection,
Diversity,
#WESTevent,
Voice,
#WESTorg,
D&I,
Gender Parity,
Webinar,
Personality,
Grow,
goals,
Equity,
STEM Women,
Female Representation STEM
By now you may have heard about the great resignation but if you haven’t it’s the shift from an employer’s market to a candidate’s market and there are now more jobs than there are people to fill them. Companies are especially struggling to attract and retain female employees and this is especially concerning in the STEM fields where womxn are already grossly underrepresented. This blog post attempts to outline what womxn are looking for in a post-pandemic world and how companies can modify their policies to recruit, mentor, retain and promote top talent while addressing burnout and supporting women who are still feeling the effects of the pandemic.
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Topics:
Best Practices,
Leadership,
Women,
Career,
Awards,
Community,
Resilience,
Mentoring,
Success,
Women in STEM,
Professional,
Resources,
Change,
Tools,
Empathy,
Values,
Support,
Leaders,
Impact,
Career Development,
Learn,
#WESTorg,
STEM Women,
Retaining Talent,
STEM Leadership,
Female Representation STEM,
Hiring Women in STEM
