I did acknowledge that this problem is a problem by degrees for most groups (with perhaps the exception of Stanford students.)
But I think women, in part because of a certain stereotype of what womanhood or motherhood should be (I think the signal from the media that such a huge number of mothers are stay-at-home is hard to ignore), and in part because of the collective sum of the world's signals, make startup career paths or STEM career paths in general less plausible for women than they should be, and less plausible than for men.
Stability most probably influences women towards defined career paths. But the mental calculus they do in making this decision might not be well informed. Even if any particular startup fails, if you're good you can join another one, or enter a larger company if need be. An entrepreneurial skill set is much more resilient to outside forces than other career skills. I think this message isn't quite communicated as well as it should be.
Frankly, I think all career paths should feel more plausible for everybody. I hear that in Iceland, there is no trouble with reinventing yourself and trying a completely new career three or four times.
I'm much more interested in spreading the attitude that one can do what one wants and be who one chooses to be than achieving exact gender population parity in every given sub-field.
But I think women, in part because of a certain stereotype of what womanhood or motherhood should be (I think the signal from the media that such a huge number of mothers are stay-at-home is hard to ignore), and in part because of the collective sum of the world's signals, make startup career paths or STEM career paths in general less plausible for women than they should be, and less plausible than for men.
As I have said we need more family-run micro-businesses where both parents spend most of their work time at home. In my ideal world a lot of businesses would be run out of the home (as is the case in most of the world, but zoning laws can make that hellishly difficult in the US).
Stability most probably influences women towards defined career paths. But the mental calculus they do in making this decision might not be well informed. Even if any particular startup fails, if you're good you can join another one, or enter a larger company if need be. An entrepreneurial skill set is much more resilient to outside forces than other career skills. I think this message isn't quite communicated as well as it should be.
And yet, how many stay-at-home moms have their own part-time businesses? I am betting a majority. The difficulty that they have re-entering the workplace later I think is tragic because:
1) These women have entrepreneurial skills that they don't value sufficiently and that the prospective employer doesn't value sufficiently and
2) This leads to devaluing the experience of having a household business.
We have amazing problems in this country due to our worship of the education system as the path to economic success, and the idea that you have to go back to school to switch careers. This is another thing we need to work on because it chains everyone, man and woman, to early decisions in life.
I choose not to play by these rules. I, as a man, work from home full time. I encourage others to do the same. I have my own business. More recently my wife is talking about joining a small startup business (good for her).
I'm much more interested in spreading the attitude that one can do what one wants and be who one chooses to be than achieving exact gender population parity in every given sub-field.
But I think women, in part because of a certain stereotype of what womanhood or motherhood should be (I think the signal from the media that such a huge number of mothers are stay-at-home is hard to ignore), and in part because of the collective sum of the world's signals, make startup career paths or STEM career paths in general less plausible for women than they should be, and less plausible than for men.
Stability most probably influences women towards defined career paths. But the mental calculus they do in making this decision might not be well informed. Even if any particular startup fails, if you're good you can join another one, or enter a larger company if need be. An entrepreneurial skill set is much more resilient to outside forces than other career skills. I think this message isn't quite communicated as well as it should be.
Frankly, I think all career paths should feel more plausible for everybody. I hear that in Iceland, there is no trouble with reinventing yourself and trying a completely new career three or four times.
I'm much more interested in spreading the attitude that one can do what one wants and be who one chooses to be than achieving exact gender population parity in every given sub-field.