Women in Technology and Engineering: Workplace Biases and the Retention of Female Employees

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.