Abstract:
While women have been working since World War I, they are still underrepresented and
unrecognized in the fields of technology and engineering. This paper identifies the reasons
behind the existence of biases against women in the fields of technology and engineering in the
Philippines, and proposes solutions for the removal of these biases. Women have contributed
much to the said fields, and their insights have been invaluable—such as making airbags safer
for women and children. Through documented interviews with three professionals in the field of
technology and three professionals in the field of engineering, the paper was able to identify the
reasons behind biases against women using the social role theory and the social expectations
theory: (1) cultural stereotypes; (2) social roles; and (3) societal expectations. The study also
uncovered other workplace phenomena that affect the role of women in technology and
engineering: (1) women need to create opportunities for themselves to gain recognition; (2)
women have shown a preference for challenging jobs; (3) culture dictates that a woman's career
is secondary to her spouse's career; (4) the lack of available workers forces firms to be less strict
with hiring and firing; (5) culture dictates that men must be the breadwinners; and (6) women
contribute to their own marginalization, albeit inadvertently. Through the removal of biases in
the workplace, women can better integrate themselves in technology and engineering
environments, and work with their peers for the development of society. The study has shown
that, ultimately, culture dictates that women need to be taken care of—just as an object or a pet.
Thus, future studies should look into the cultural objectification of women and how this
phenomenon can be removed.
