An essay about women in science
Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.
Preparation
In most universities there are more male students than female students on science courses. What is the reason for this? What could be done to balance out the numbers?
In higher education, science subjects are typically dominated by male students. This negatively impacts the world of work, as fewer females then go into the science, technology and engineering sectors. This essay will explore the reasons for the lack of gender diversity in science and suggest ways to create equal opportunities in this area.
The most likely reason for the imbalance is that society reinforces the idea that boys and girls have different interests and abilities. We see this from a very early age when little boys are given cars and Lego while girls get dolls. The former are encouraged to build things whereas the latter learn to care for others. Later on, we are told that girls are better at languages or boys have better spatial awareness. In fact, there is no evidence that biological differences between the sexes make one gender more talented than another at a particular subject. It is society, not nature, that tells us girls should favour arts and humanities and leave maths and physics to the boys.
Coupled with this is the lack of positive female role models youngsters see doing science-related jobs. Cartoons and stories often show the crazy scientist, genius inventor, or adventurous astronaut as a man. Furthermore, there is an unfortunate perception that scientists are geeky, have poor social skills or that their work is lonely and detached from the rest of the world. These are false stereotypes portrayed by the media, but they may mean that girls do not identify with scientists, and see science as an unappealing career path. If girls saw more positive female role models in science it would give them more confidence and a greater sense of belonging in those subjects.
Given these points, it is important to tackle this issue right from a child's early education. By the time young women are at university, it may already be too late to disprove the view that science is 'not for them'. Hence, for very young children gender-neutral play needs to be encouraged. As children get older, both the education system and the media must raise awareness of female achievements in the field of science, as well as exposing them to a more diverse set of characters in books and films. We need to find ways to show young girls that science is fun, interesting, and, most importantly, theirs too.
Tips
- Read the question carefully. If the question asks you to discuss the reasons for a problem and suggest solutions, make sure you do both.
- In your introduction, restate the question in your own words and say what your essay will do. This essay will outline the reasons for … and offer solutions to the problem.
- Plan the paragraphs of your essay before you write. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that summarises the main idea of the paragraph.
- Develop your position fully by extending your ideas and using examples to support your arguments. Use linking expressions like Coupled with, Furthermore, In fact and Given these points to show what is coming next.
- Try to use a wide range of vocabulary. Use natural-sounding collocations like equal opportunities and role model. Avoid repetition by using synonyms or words with similar meanings: girls, young women, females; children, youngsters. You can also use the former and the latter to refer to things you have just mentioned.
- Build the conclusion from the ideas in the essay rather than introducing new ones.
In Mexico engineering and sciences careers are more demanded by mens than womens, but there's some careers that have more women demand like teaching or medicine, this could be just related to preferences, instead to a high social problem like having unequal opportunities or discrimination but im not saying that could not be the case of some girls, i mean that its not the onlv factor of this situation.
Given these points, there are some ideas that can help increase the participation of females in science like schools should actively promote equal opportunities by encouraging girls to engage in scientific activities and providing strong female role models.
In conclusion the difference of mens and girls that are involved on science could be caused by different reasons like just a factor of preferences that people have or discrimination and unequal opportunities that should be erradicated.
In my country, There is more diversity now because decades ago there were no women in higher education because they were not allowed to study or what they wanted to study was not considered for “women”, today there is more equality in this area and anyone can choose what they want to study, although some careers of are still dominated by one gender, also there is still some gender discrimination in the workplace.
women tend to choose careers that do not involve so much physical activity. Of course there are always exceptions, but they tend to choose careers like communication, photography, and psychology, while men choose agronomy and engineering.
Returning to the topic, I think there are more female studying science and male studying technology. I don't know why but that's what you see in schools. I think this generation can make the change to be more equitable in science and technology careers also more opportunitys in the workplace for both genders.
Johanatan Valdez
In Mexico, subjects like nursing, education, psychology and humanities tend to have more female students. These fields often attract women due to their focus on care, teaching and social aspects.
On the other hand, engineering, computer science, physics and mathematics typically have more male students in Mexico. These stem fields have traditionally seen higher enrollment of men, tough efforts are being made to increase diversity.
Hi British Council Team,
I notice that in the essay, the writer does not use "I" (I think/I believe), instead objective expressions, such as "The most likely reason is", are preferred.
Is this a rule or a preference in formal writing? In what situation should we use or not use "I"?
I appreciate your time reading and replying this.
Have a nice day :D
Kimmy,
Hi kimmie,
Well spotted! These forms are much more common in formal writing. They give a sense of objectivity and distance on the part of the writer. You can read more about forms like this here:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/c1-grammar/advanced-passives-review
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
In Mexico, as in many other countries, there are noticeable gender differences in the subjects that students choose to study. Fields like nursing, education, and the arts tend to attract more female students, while male students dominate subjects such as engineering, computer science, and physics.
The gender disparity in subject choices in Mexico is a complex issue rooted in cultural norms, societal expectations, and a lack of representation in certain fields. However, by challenging gender stereotypes, increasing female role models in male-dominated fields, implementing inclusive teaching practices, and promoting gender equality through public policies, we can work toward a more balanced education system. Encouraging all students, regardless of gender, to pursue their passions and talents will not only benefit individuals but will also contribute to a more diverse and innovative society.
In my country is common to see classrooms full of boys or full of girls, more at the university, usually careers like engineering are more choosed by the boys and an example for the girls could be gastronomy.
In my Country i think the agronomy has been dominated by the men since unforgettables times, and I think the medicine is dominated by women or cosmetology.
In my city, men study engineering and bachelor's degrees more, as well as medicine, and women study nursing, teaching, graphic design and gastronomy.
In my city, the career most studied by men I think is engineering since women are not given much opportunity because it is a heavy load, and the career most studied by women I think is fashion design since it is a career that is based on aesthetics and the prejudice in my city is that women have to look good aesthetically