'Flocking to the Same Field'

When it comes to the STEM fields, if you're wondering where the women are, it's in the life sciences. "About 58 percent of all bachelor’s, master’s and doctorates in biology are awarded to women," Christopher Drew says at The New York Times. Georgia State University's Paula Stephan tells the Times that "women historically have been interested in subjects that were less math intensive and that had goals of helping people, and biology and the medical sciences have both of those."

To that, Fairer Science's Pat Campbell says, "Who cares that biomedical research is like saving our lives and those of our parents and our children? Since there are too many women in it, it has got to be close to worthless." In particular, Campbell takes issue with Stephan's thought that young women "don't realize they are limiting their pay and job options by flocking to the same field," as the Times' Drew puts it.

At Fairer Science, Campbell responds: "The acceptance that fields with more women or that become more feminine are less valued is just the way it is and that the answer is to go into a male-dominated field made me want to crawl into the bed, put the covers over my head, and not get out."