Generations of women struggled for the right to pursue careers in science
and technology. yet today nearly half the women scientists in
Europe and the Americas leave their careers. The difference in numbers
between men and women who advance and persist in their fields cannot
be attributed to race, ethnic, or social group. The dire consequences of
this loss may become more acute as the number of women entering science
careers increases. Since the 1 990s, more women than men have
enrolled in college, earned higher grades, and majored in science or
technology fields. If the trend continues and more than half these
women leave their careers by their mid-forties, approximately one-third
of all scientists will leave their careers in the next twenty years. So why
are women leaving the science careers they worked so hard to attain?
Studies by academic and professional associations show the causes for
the loss of this valuable resource are threefold: time, family responsibilities,
and lack of role models.