WASHINGTON D.C. – (WTRF) U.S Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R – West Virginia) sat among a panel on Wednesday to discuss the challenges women in the STEM workforce face.
Senator Capito said this topic is near and dear to her because she herself has a STEM degree in Zoology.
The discussion focused particularly on the recent obstacles that approached during the pandemic and how they can make a difference.
Senator Capito said we’ve seen a change but still have a long way to go.
“How do we really stimulate those young leaders of tomorrow to go into the STEM field to provide for them and their families for many years to come? Look at medical schools, forty years ago they were dominated by men. Now, there are more than half students, I believe in medical school now are women. Well, why is that? Let’s study that.” – SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, (R) WEST VIRGINIA
Senator Capito explained seeing more female role models and having flexible workplaces could play a vital role in this movement.
According to the National Women’s Law Center, women’s rate of participation in the labor force has been the lowest it’s been in over thirty years and in STEM specifically, women hold less than 1/3 of the jobs.
Senator Capito has been working through legislative efforts to increase those numbers and inspire females to take on the challenge.
