Male Engineering Student Calmly Explains Why Female Classmates Aren’t His Equals
Imagine a guy telling his whole engineering class, loud and clear, that female students aren’t his equals. As I’m typing, your eyeballs might be out of their sockets, and you might be searching for an egg or two to fire. While your mind is busy creating the worst-case scenario of academic misogyny, stay with me. The guy suddenly changes his tone of voice – “you and I cannot be equal. You have already conquered far more to be in this field than I will ever face.” Of course, the female students had to work harder, stronger, better and faster to make it in this world! And what were you thinking? In the blink of an eye, Jared Mauldin transforms into a humble hero of modern class. His thought-provoking letter, published on Eastern Washington University’s student news site, has been taking the internet by storm. No thunder, though, as many have turned to him to say “thank you”. Read Mauldin’s full letter below:
Image credits: A Mighty Girl
Speaking with the Today show about his piece, Jared Mauldin said: ‘Really, when you look at this letter, I said nothing new. I didn’t say anything that another feminist writer hasn’t said before. The distinguishing factor happens to be that I am a man. That is a problem.’ Sadly, it’s true that women in the field of science face a grim reality. Catalyst, a global non-profit organization that seeks to empower women in workforces, conducted a study and discovered that the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) begins with education. The gap is exceptionally wide in information technologies, where women account for up to only 18.8% of the highest grades in class. As if that’s not enough, a 2014 study discovered that both men and women were twice as likely to hire a man if the job required math.
Take a look at what people had to say about the viral letter:
It's cool when men can understand better a woman's perspective on such issues, but this kind of virtue signalling makes me uncomfortable. Women simply want to be treated the same as everyone else. That means not undervaluing our worth, but it also means not treating us as special snowflakes. Everyone has their own struggle.
I think understanding the reality of the playing field helps make it more level.
Load More Replies...I always have mixed feelings about this kind of topic. I (born 1968) have a (bachelor) degree in applied physics (since 1992) and worked in Industrial Automation for many years, for what were engineering firms with then 100% male employees. During my time in Uni we were 4-10 girls on a total of 300 physics students. But I have never ever experienced any form of misogyny during those years. No one held me back, no one told me I was not fit to work as an engineer because of my gender and no one suggested to find other line of work. Just the opposite really : when it was time for me to have children, I was the first engineer that needed to give birth herself, in comparrison to my male co-workers, and everyone was very excited about me joining them on the workfloor with my belly pressed into a blue overall ! Maybe on a professional basis things were/are different where I come from (Netherlands) but I just can't relate to these posts made by people from "developed" countries. Sorry.
Don't worry. I can't relate either. I was born in the 80s and went into IT and have never been discouraged or heard anything remotely negative about going into the industry as a female. It just sounds like made-up grievances to me. He's right about one thing. Diversity hires and quotas completely undermine us. They are such a terrible idea.
Load More Replies...I'm getting tired of this. In most industrialized countries, females outnumber males in all fields of higher studies but engineering. High school failure disproportionately affects male students. Most educators are female, and studies have shown they on average have a significant bias against male students. Boys in school have more than five time the suicide rate of girls. Equality should be going both ways. It is true females have it harder in many ways, but not regarding education. Boys deserve that we care about them too.
You're getting tired of this after maybe 20 years of "moving towards equality", after MILLENNIA of the opposite? Maybe you're making a point different to the one you intend to be making. Yes, of COURSE we need to care about boys. The point of the letter and the article is that on the whole, as a group, they are already cared for.
Load More Replies...I teach math... and sadly I've seen women in STEM being treated poorly. One thing bothers me about this letter: it would have a lot more punch if it were anonymous. This is a humble-brag, virtue signaling, call-it-what-you-will. Anonymous, it would be a better, I think.
While I agree with your first sentence, I have to disagree, I think if it were anonymous then the conspiracy theorists would believe it was written by a woman. It is not really "virtue signalling" if you are trying to get a valid set of points across to people that don't or won't see it.
Load More Replies...I was kind of on board with this guy, but since reading the comments I may have to rethink that. While it true that women are underrepresented in certain fields so are men. There are probably several men who want to be a fashion designer and they can't because they are told that that profession is for women. Even television shows like Project Runway kind of make it seem that the only way you can be a fashion designer as a man is if you are a feminine gay guy. And that is not just for fashion design, but for any profession that requires some level of artistic ability. In my family, if we needed something sewn we went to our dad, the person who cooked our breakfast was our dad, if we needed help with an our art projects we went to our dad. On the other hand, if we needed help with math, we went to our mom, the person who puts all of our new shelves together is our mom. So it's not just women that need to be uplifted, but all people. Let's encourage each other and our interests.
There is no dearth of fashion designers who are men, at least in the U.S. I think men do get it bad for being stay-at-home dads, wearing anything outside the "norm," crying or being sensitive, having their kids friends' visit without a mother in the house, more social things but definitely have an impact.
Load More Replies...OMG I am so sick of this kind of garbage! Men and women are different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Not everything is fair or equal! Deal with it! Talk people have more opportunities than short people. Thin people have more opportunities than heavy people. People with hair have more opportunities than bald people. People that have good vision have more opportunities than people with poor vision or hearing or skin color or eye color or language you speak or facial hair or or hair color....... Life is tough. Life is sometimes unfair. Suck it up. Get a helmet if you're so fragile!
You forgot the most important one: rich people have far more opportunities than poor people.
Load More Replies...I have three daughters, and though all three of them are still young, I am trying to encourage them to study. But if one of my daughters would tell me they want to become a plumber, I would totally support her. Everyone should have the chance to study whatever they want, whenever they want, without anyone judging them because of their gender, race, religion or whatever.
Have you seen what plumbers make these days? Definitely encourage her!
Load More Replies...Really, I am tired of this "you should be ashamed of who you are". Yes, I am a white young male, with good education, married with no kids, and far above average income. Definitely because "I had it easy". No association with me attending 3 language schools in the evenings during my grammar school, working throughout the university to support myself, now working also at the weekends, continuously studying etc. It's just me being male and white. That did it. Lame excuse for those too lazy to work hard. Race, gender/sex etc.... We would have loved it to have girls there during the competitions in physics and mathematics between schools, but they were NOT INTERESTED, the teachers leading these activities invited girls to the geek clubs, but... Just finally face the truth that SEXUAL HORMONES AFFECT THE WAY OUR BRAINS WORK. Women and men are different, which does not mean better or worse.
At my school, tons of the girls ARE interested in engineering and coding. And the high school girls that taught our after school coding club were highly passionate about what they did. Sexual hormones have NOTHING to do with it. You might have a good education, but I think you needed to take more biology classes. Not to mention a psychology class or two.
Load More Replies...My sister was the first female to go through HVAC classes at her technical school. She said "you can tell..because there are no women's restrooms in the building where they teach it..I have to go across campus to find a ladies room." She was constantly ridiculed by fellow technicians when she first hired on...Until they found out she excelled in everything. I'm talking about a woman that can fix any car, dropped engines in three of her vehicles, and accepts any challenge to fix anything mechanical head on. And all of this while dealing with a father who would hand his two son's power tools, but make his daughters read the manual thoroughly before even letting them look at a fricken' power drill. My sister eventually quit HVAC because she was tired of dealing with snotty customers. She went on to get an engineering degree. Highest GPA in her class I might add.
This is exactly why I am so proud of my daughter, she is about to graduate from the Colorado School of Mines as an Engineer, is already working in her field. She never let anything hold her back, loved building things from a young age and thinks that differential equations was "fun and easy". Things are not equal for women in STEM fields, but the disparity is disappearing. At her school, the percentage if women is 40%. Ten years ago it was 15%. Go girls! You can do anything!
From a "typical male"s perspective, all I have to say is.......uh....okay. Sure. Over the decades I've never really known any men (at least in Canada) who cared one way or another if a girl got into STEM. We are largely indifferent, and certainly aren't out to stop anyone.
Load More Replies...We all know it's impossible for a guy doing an Engineering degree to get laid, so he is trying really, really hard to avoid that fate in the most virtue signalling, woke-a*s way possible...
Doesn't these women's presence in the engineering program show that nothing could actually stop them from pursuing their professional interest in it? Let them say if they feel that any men were trying to stop them, let them tell their side of the story. But are women in engineering or math programs constantly saying that they nearly had to quit, that they're just barely hanging on by a thread and everyday is an epic struggle, b/c some men chauvinistically disapprove of their presence in their chosen field? Or are are they calmly pursuing their degree like the young men in the program are, and did a young SJW want to show his virtues to the world? This is why people vote for Trump - not me, I think Trump's a foolish, erratic, mean-spirited douchebag. But this is why the US's 100 million+ white men mostly love Trump and hate liberalism, stupid s**t like this.
I went into IT in the 00s and in the whole lecture theatre there was one other girl. I couldn't care less what ratio of guys and girls there were. I never really thought about it.
Load More Replies...Meanwhile, US boys are getting low grades in middle-school and high-school, because teachers (mostly women) don't know how to make classes attractive for them.
Considering that a lot of guys only go to school because they'll end up in juvenile detention, and if they're voluntarily going to school it's because they want a sports scholarship to get to the pros to get lots of money, it's not surprising. Short-sighted, yes. But there it is. My father was a high school grad who was good with figures; he rose to become the VP of a bank. But dad was born in 1916! It doesn't work that way any longer! While we're at it, teachers used to be predominate;y male. They were paid significantly more than their female counterparts. Now the field is predominantly female, and the pay is s**t. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Load More Replies...I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering in1997. I was one of 4 women in my class of over 30 men. It was a small university. When I was hired for my first job, I was the only female at a company of over 20 men. My coworkers were very welcoming and encouraging. However, every time I had to talk to most of them in their offices there were pictures of swimsuit models, scantily clad women or just plain boobs. I never said anything. Maybe it would have changed but I wasn’t the first woman to work there and I wasn’t the last. During my internship, I was the only female on a job site of over 50 men. When I arrived, some guys were overheard talking about the fresh pussy. All of it was undermining in different ways. I considered myself lucky because I knew it was even harder for women 20 years before. I just hope that it is better for women in the workplace 20 years later. All we can do is keep pushing forward.
I don’t know about bias or preference. My situation was just wrong and went uncorrected. I graduated high school in 1977, destined for community college..then what? When I was in the 10th grade I was told never to take math again by a female teacher, my Senior class advisor! Math was always difficult for me, so I didn’t take another class. I never had an advisor nor did I take SATs, I didn’t even know what they were.my parents, bless them, we’re happy that their children were HS graduates! I had wanted to be a Doctor, a little extra counseling in math might have steered me in the right I have since discovered that I am not as stupid as I had thought in HS, I graduated with honors from college. However, the uncorrected mistake still haunts me, I have avoided math as my teacher told me! I am still not a Doctor though I have an uncanny knowledge of the human mind and body, and I will find a way to use that knowledge. My 2 nephews are math geniuses, I will have them tutor me someday!
Great. On top of being a middle class white male, I now have the taboo of being an engineer who is part of a society that suppresses women from entering our field. If my sisters and wife weren't suppressed by society growing up, they would have been more likely to become engineers? Biology plays no part in this? This is all hogwash and is part of the PC culture that people are starting to turn against. I don't believe any of it.
Ah, the ‘biology’ argument. Seriously though, what has that got to do with it? The reason less women do engineering is because it’s seen as a job for men, not because of biology.
Load More Replies...This cool smooth motherfu**er. THIS would be the best pick up line ever. XD
I never comment on posts, but this share hit me in all the feels. I have a daughter who is the only girl in her 4th year of engineering at her high school. Her teacher apparently told some of the boys in her class that he didn’t believe that females should be engineers. He proved that by moving her to a table at the back of the room and pretending that she wasn’t there, then avoided her table at all cost. Her grades began to fall, and the guys in her class noticed . A couple Of them moved to her table so she wouldn’t be alone and then they all began to help her with her project. I sincerely applaud the parents who raised these gentleman and thank them all from the bottom of my heart. I am full of gratitude for the kindness and compassion.
I bookmarked this discussion, just so I can show people the male responses and how far women still have to fight in 2020.
this is why i put my daughter in Engineering as an elective in Jr Hugh, not home ec.
Another article pandering to women’s victimhood. Women are doing significantly better than men in education. Engineering is the only discipline where men are still in a majority and it is clearly explained by the fact that more men like working with things and more women like working with people. However, the author is endeavouring to white knight and it is tiresome. University places are now 60% female. I notice there has been no problem in women taking over the non STEM disciplines though eg the biological sciences etc. You know, the ones they are interested in. I’m tired of the relentless anti-male bias of modern journalism. I assume that it is because the industry is now dominated by activist feminists. Strange how we never hear about diversity and inclusion in the industries where women dominate...
In high school, I wanted to take maths or civil engineering degree after graduation. Whilst my dad never said “no”, his words were “it’s not the kind of job suite for women. Imagine men will catcall you at construction sites etc” I understand he’s coming from the place of love & he’s protective of me. I just wish he can be a bit more open minded & not care too much about what’s “culturally appropriate”
Women are treated unfairly in every aspect of life. They are criticized for being obsessed with looks in the world where only women get wrinkles - men get "character lines"; only women age - men "mature". When woman succeeds in the "male" field - she must be ugly. When woman stands up for herself, she is labeled difficult at best, and b***h at worst - man, on the other hand, is called "assertive"....and list goes on and on. Women's indiscretions are judged harshly, while men's ....."oh, boys will be boys". The reality is that there are good, sensitive, objective men, as there are smart women. The gender or race has nothing to do with it.
I teach at an elementary STEM school in the SF Bay Area, and a good part of what we do is to teach our students that the gender thing is irrelevant. We had an after school coding group for girls that was taught by some local high school girls. I've sat in a couple of sessions and those girls were awesome role models. Our staff tech and I have been running another club that focuses on coding as well as engineering. We always been really proud of the fact that our group has several girls sign up every year. And watching the boys collaborate with and respect what the girls come up with is majorly cool. The tech guy and I like to think we're not only teaching technology, we're making things better for men and women.
I had good grades in high school. Nearing graduation (1970), my guidance counselor asked me if I wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. It's nice to see things have changed. Some.
My Dad was born in 1925. And it simply never occurred to him that a woman didn't have the capacity for ANY activity, unless she was honestly phyically incapable due to size or strength, same as if she were a man of same size and strength. I became a software engineer. It never even crossed my mind it wasn't typically a "woman's field". In fact, we currently have three female software architects, and both the VP and director of technology are women at my company. But I know a lot of girls/women get this discouragement most of their lives. My Dad was awesome. He actually tasked me with solving the nuclear fusion problem. Said I was smart enough and I should go do it :-) I didn't :-(
Years ago, I was at a wedding for twins, brother and sister, married a brother and sister on the same day. Both had gone into engineering, she was discouraged by everyone, he was encouraged, he even made it part of his speech at the wedding, he said that she proved who the engineer in the family was, she was obtaining her PHD in engineering and he had flunked out of his second year of the program for the third time! I always thought it took a lot of guts to basically announce this to the world and it was over 30 years ago and she was the only female at that time in engineering at that university.
I hope Mauldin's prowess as a writer is not lost to engineering, he expresses his ideas with remarkable clarity, and the effect is pleasantly devastating.
All the macho males (strong like ox, dumb like ox) are downvoting everything positive. As usual. Some people just don't want their neolithic world-views joggled.
Load More Replies...My daughter is pursuing a STEM career. My high school guidance counselor told my mother and me that I scored very high in mechanics. He didn't explain what that meant. Only as a mature adult did I realize I should have studied engineering. We're making sure our daughter has every opportunity.
Kudos to this honest young man! But, i have to say that I am a little saddened. I am 74. I am a retired (female) engineer who got her MS in Engineering in 1973. I had hoped that today's young women pursuing an engineering career would be able to look back to the "Dark Ages" of the 1960s-70s and say, "How awful that such sexism occurred during that unenlightened age!". But, sadly, we are still in the Dark Ages.
I was with you until the last sentence. 1970's? That was real sexism. Rampant. Today? Fuuuuuuck no. Today you're treated like a hero if you are a female who goes into a STEM field. It's encouraged at ever level. You had to endure a bunch of b******t, but todays girls have a cakewalk to a pedestal in comparison.
Load More Replies...Very brave, making such a statement on such and controversial, for lack of a better word, topic.
I think perhaps there is more equality in Europe than in the USA, though I have no statistics to back this up. Maybe because in Europe there have been more equality laws for far longer. I believe (and willing to be corrected) that there is still no law in USA that says women must be paid equal pay as men for the same work.
One, it most certainly is absolutely illegal in the USA for women to be paid less than men for the same task over the same time period (which just makes sense or else companies would hire only women) and also, Sweden is the most "gotta make the sexes equal" country on earth and their disparity is actually growing! Don't take my word for it, hit the Googles.
Load More Replies...While I carry this sentiment in my heart, I've been taught to keep it to myself. I have been rebuffed by women 99% of the time I try to express it. Typically, the tone is along the lines of "You will never be able to understand our perspective, and your attempts are insulting. Go away and stay off our side." Glad this guy was able to get a positive response, though. Maybe there's hope yet.
Downvotes on a personal story that perfectly relates to the topic at hand. Nice. Sorry reality doesn't match what you wish it was. Just downvote and bury what doesn't support your viewpoint, right?
Load More Replies...It reminded me when back in 1st grade of highschool I was elected the president of class. Then at the end I resigned, because I was accused of being bossy. It hurt quite a lot, since I gave my heart to wellbeing of everyone and that they were treated right etc. Fast forward to 3rd and last grade when a group of students came up to me and asked if I could take up the presidnet mantle again, because 2nd grade was awful and they realized that I was well fitted for the position. I have not taken it anyway and I avoid leading anything up to this day. Makes me wonder, reading the text in the article, if I would be perceived the same way if I was a boy back then.
You have avoided leading because of some idiotic teenage stuff that happened when you were 14 or 15 years old? Wow! Perhaps the problem is not "the world" and their attitudes towards women, but you and your attitude to life. Everybody suffers drawbacks but normal people get back on their feet again and fight for what they want instead of spending the next twenty years feeling sorry for themselves.
Load More Replies...Ok, real talk. I don't understand what Virtue Signalling is and why it's bad. It seems like just being a good person.
Virtue signalling is just announcing to whomever you can get to listen, that you are such a good person and are on the right side of whatever issue. It's done as an end in itself, and is strictly self serving. It's done solely to let everyone know how great YOU are and has little, if anything, to do with the actual cause being talked about. It's really slimy. It's like those male feminists who talk about being "allies" and then you find out they are just creeps trying to sneak their way in and get laid.
Load More Replies...Havinga Ph.D. in physics, and having gone thru what he wrote and more, I have to say: BRAVO!!!
Goli - She hasn't got any kind of education. Someone with a doctorate would not be so illiterate.
Load More Replies...In 1989, a man purposely murdered 14 female engineering students at the École Polytechnique in Montreal blaming women in traditionally male occupations. The fight is not over.
Uh.....that's 30 years ago. Is there an epidemic of this going on somewhere we're unaware of?
Load More Replies...Last week there was an article here titled “ Dad Spends Months Talking To His Baby In The Womb, She Reacts To His Voice With The Biggest Smile Once Born.” In one of the photos of the newborn, she was wearing a onesie with the words “Little Fashion Girl.”
Ever here of "patronizing"? This is the tone this guy is taking and why you are feeling uncomfortable. He is coming from a position of power and is patting women on the head. Don't thank him. If he truly respected women he wouldn't write this oversimplified drivel.
Cudos to that guy ! what a new way to crush some pu&& . ONE OF THE MOST PICK UP LINE EVER.
Females most certainly aren't my equals, when it comes to writing one's name in the snow hands-free.
No one is impressed with the contents of your pants.
Load More Replies...It's cool when men can understand better a woman's perspective on such issues, but this kind of virtue signalling makes me uncomfortable. Women simply want to be treated the same as everyone else. That means not undervaluing our worth, but it also means not treating us as special snowflakes. Everyone has their own struggle.
I think understanding the reality of the playing field helps make it more level.
Load More Replies...I always have mixed feelings about this kind of topic. I (born 1968) have a (bachelor) degree in applied physics (since 1992) and worked in Industrial Automation for many years, for what were engineering firms with then 100% male employees. During my time in Uni we were 4-10 girls on a total of 300 physics students. But I have never ever experienced any form of misogyny during those years. No one held me back, no one told me I was not fit to work as an engineer because of my gender and no one suggested to find other line of work. Just the opposite really : when it was time for me to have children, I was the first engineer that needed to give birth herself, in comparrison to my male co-workers, and everyone was very excited about me joining them on the workfloor with my belly pressed into a blue overall ! Maybe on a professional basis things were/are different where I come from (Netherlands) but I just can't relate to these posts made by people from "developed" countries. Sorry.
Don't worry. I can't relate either. I was born in the 80s and went into IT and have never been discouraged or heard anything remotely negative about going into the industry as a female. It just sounds like made-up grievances to me. He's right about one thing. Diversity hires and quotas completely undermine us. They are such a terrible idea.
Load More Replies...I'm getting tired of this. In most industrialized countries, females outnumber males in all fields of higher studies but engineering. High school failure disproportionately affects male students. Most educators are female, and studies have shown they on average have a significant bias against male students. Boys in school have more than five time the suicide rate of girls. Equality should be going both ways. It is true females have it harder in many ways, but not regarding education. Boys deserve that we care about them too.
You're getting tired of this after maybe 20 years of "moving towards equality", after MILLENNIA of the opposite? Maybe you're making a point different to the one you intend to be making. Yes, of COURSE we need to care about boys. The point of the letter and the article is that on the whole, as a group, they are already cared for.
Load More Replies...I teach math... and sadly I've seen women in STEM being treated poorly. One thing bothers me about this letter: it would have a lot more punch if it were anonymous. This is a humble-brag, virtue signaling, call-it-what-you-will. Anonymous, it would be a better, I think.
While I agree with your first sentence, I have to disagree, I think if it were anonymous then the conspiracy theorists would believe it was written by a woman. It is not really "virtue signalling" if you are trying to get a valid set of points across to people that don't or won't see it.
Load More Replies...I was kind of on board with this guy, but since reading the comments I may have to rethink that. While it true that women are underrepresented in certain fields so are men. There are probably several men who want to be a fashion designer and they can't because they are told that that profession is for women. Even television shows like Project Runway kind of make it seem that the only way you can be a fashion designer as a man is if you are a feminine gay guy. And that is not just for fashion design, but for any profession that requires some level of artistic ability. In my family, if we needed something sewn we went to our dad, the person who cooked our breakfast was our dad, if we needed help with an our art projects we went to our dad. On the other hand, if we needed help with math, we went to our mom, the person who puts all of our new shelves together is our mom. So it's not just women that need to be uplifted, but all people. Let's encourage each other and our interests.
There is no dearth of fashion designers who are men, at least in the U.S. I think men do get it bad for being stay-at-home dads, wearing anything outside the "norm," crying or being sensitive, having their kids friends' visit without a mother in the house, more social things but definitely have an impact.
Load More Replies...OMG I am so sick of this kind of garbage! Men and women are different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Not everything is fair or equal! Deal with it! Talk people have more opportunities than short people. Thin people have more opportunities than heavy people. People with hair have more opportunities than bald people. People that have good vision have more opportunities than people with poor vision or hearing or skin color or eye color or language you speak or facial hair or or hair color....... Life is tough. Life is sometimes unfair. Suck it up. Get a helmet if you're so fragile!
You forgot the most important one: rich people have far more opportunities than poor people.
Load More Replies...I have three daughters, and though all three of them are still young, I am trying to encourage them to study. But if one of my daughters would tell me they want to become a plumber, I would totally support her. Everyone should have the chance to study whatever they want, whenever they want, without anyone judging them because of their gender, race, religion or whatever.
Have you seen what plumbers make these days? Definitely encourage her!
Load More Replies...Really, I am tired of this "you should be ashamed of who you are". Yes, I am a white young male, with good education, married with no kids, and far above average income. Definitely because "I had it easy". No association with me attending 3 language schools in the evenings during my grammar school, working throughout the university to support myself, now working also at the weekends, continuously studying etc. It's just me being male and white. That did it. Lame excuse for those too lazy to work hard. Race, gender/sex etc.... We would have loved it to have girls there during the competitions in physics and mathematics between schools, but they were NOT INTERESTED, the teachers leading these activities invited girls to the geek clubs, but... Just finally face the truth that SEXUAL HORMONES AFFECT THE WAY OUR BRAINS WORK. Women and men are different, which does not mean better or worse.
At my school, tons of the girls ARE interested in engineering and coding. And the high school girls that taught our after school coding club were highly passionate about what they did. Sexual hormones have NOTHING to do with it. You might have a good education, but I think you needed to take more biology classes. Not to mention a psychology class or two.
Load More Replies...My sister was the first female to go through HVAC classes at her technical school. She said "you can tell..because there are no women's restrooms in the building where they teach it..I have to go across campus to find a ladies room." She was constantly ridiculed by fellow technicians when she first hired on...Until they found out she excelled in everything. I'm talking about a woman that can fix any car, dropped engines in three of her vehicles, and accepts any challenge to fix anything mechanical head on. And all of this while dealing with a father who would hand his two son's power tools, but make his daughters read the manual thoroughly before even letting them look at a fricken' power drill. My sister eventually quit HVAC because she was tired of dealing with snotty customers. She went on to get an engineering degree. Highest GPA in her class I might add.
This is exactly why I am so proud of my daughter, she is about to graduate from the Colorado School of Mines as an Engineer, is already working in her field. She never let anything hold her back, loved building things from a young age and thinks that differential equations was "fun and easy". Things are not equal for women in STEM fields, but the disparity is disappearing. At her school, the percentage if women is 40%. Ten years ago it was 15%. Go girls! You can do anything!
From a "typical male"s perspective, all I have to say is.......uh....okay. Sure. Over the decades I've never really known any men (at least in Canada) who cared one way or another if a girl got into STEM. We are largely indifferent, and certainly aren't out to stop anyone.
Load More Replies...We all know it's impossible for a guy doing an Engineering degree to get laid, so he is trying really, really hard to avoid that fate in the most virtue signalling, woke-a*s way possible...
Doesn't these women's presence in the engineering program show that nothing could actually stop them from pursuing their professional interest in it? Let them say if they feel that any men were trying to stop them, let them tell their side of the story. But are women in engineering or math programs constantly saying that they nearly had to quit, that they're just barely hanging on by a thread and everyday is an epic struggle, b/c some men chauvinistically disapprove of their presence in their chosen field? Or are are they calmly pursuing their degree like the young men in the program are, and did a young SJW want to show his virtues to the world? This is why people vote for Trump - not me, I think Trump's a foolish, erratic, mean-spirited douchebag. But this is why the US's 100 million+ white men mostly love Trump and hate liberalism, stupid s**t like this.
I went into IT in the 00s and in the whole lecture theatre there was one other girl. I couldn't care less what ratio of guys and girls there were. I never really thought about it.
Load More Replies...Meanwhile, US boys are getting low grades in middle-school and high-school, because teachers (mostly women) don't know how to make classes attractive for them.
Considering that a lot of guys only go to school because they'll end up in juvenile detention, and if they're voluntarily going to school it's because they want a sports scholarship to get to the pros to get lots of money, it's not surprising. Short-sighted, yes. But there it is. My father was a high school grad who was good with figures; he rose to become the VP of a bank. But dad was born in 1916! It doesn't work that way any longer! While we're at it, teachers used to be predominate;y male. They were paid significantly more than their female counterparts. Now the field is predominantly female, and the pay is s**t. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Load More Replies...I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering in1997. I was one of 4 women in my class of over 30 men. It was a small university. When I was hired for my first job, I was the only female at a company of over 20 men. My coworkers were very welcoming and encouraging. However, every time I had to talk to most of them in their offices there were pictures of swimsuit models, scantily clad women or just plain boobs. I never said anything. Maybe it would have changed but I wasn’t the first woman to work there and I wasn’t the last. During my internship, I was the only female on a job site of over 50 men. When I arrived, some guys were overheard talking about the fresh pussy. All of it was undermining in different ways. I considered myself lucky because I knew it was even harder for women 20 years before. I just hope that it is better for women in the workplace 20 years later. All we can do is keep pushing forward.
I don’t know about bias or preference. My situation was just wrong and went uncorrected. I graduated high school in 1977, destined for community college..then what? When I was in the 10th grade I was told never to take math again by a female teacher, my Senior class advisor! Math was always difficult for me, so I didn’t take another class. I never had an advisor nor did I take SATs, I didn’t even know what they were.my parents, bless them, we’re happy that their children were HS graduates! I had wanted to be a Doctor, a little extra counseling in math might have steered me in the right I have since discovered that I am not as stupid as I had thought in HS, I graduated with honors from college. However, the uncorrected mistake still haunts me, I have avoided math as my teacher told me! I am still not a Doctor though I have an uncanny knowledge of the human mind and body, and I will find a way to use that knowledge. My 2 nephews are math geniuses, I will have them tutor me someday!
Great. On top of being a middle class white male, I now have the taboo of being an engineer who is part of a society that suppresses women from entering our field. If my sisters and wife weren't suppressed by society growing up, they would have been more likely to become engineers? Biology plays no part in this? This is all hogwash and is part of the PC culture that people are starting to turn against. I don't believe any of it.
Ah, the ‘biology’ argument. Seriously though, what has that got to do with it? The reason less women do engineering is because it’s seen as a job for men, not because of biology.
Load More Replies...This cool smooth motherfu**er. THIS would be the best pick up line ever. XD
I never comment on posts, but this share hit me in all the feels. I have a daughter who is the only girl in her 4th year of engineering at her high school. Her teacher apparently told some of the boys in her class that he didn’t believe that females should be engineers. He proved that by moving her to a table at the back of the room and pretending that she wasn’t there, then avoided her table at all cost. Her grades began to fall, and the guys in her class noticed . A couple Of them moved to her table so she wouldn’t be alone and then they all began to help her with her project. I sincerely applaud the parents who raised these gentleman and thank them all from the bottom of my heart. I am full of gratitude for the kindness and compassion.
I bookmarked this discussion, just so I can show people the male responses and how far women still have to fight in 2020.
this is why i put my daughter in Engineering as an elective in Jr Hugh, not home ec.
Another article pandering to women’s victimhood. Women are doing significantly better than men in education. Engineering is the only discipline where men are still in a majority and it is clearly explained by the fact that more men like working with things and more women like working with people. However, the author is endeavouring to white knight and it is tiresome. University places are now 60% female. I notice there has been no problem in women taking over the non STEM disciplines though eg the biological sciences etc. You know, the ones they are interested in. I’m tired of the relentless anti-male bias of modern journalism. I assume that it is because the industry is now dominated by activist feminists. Strange how we never hear about diversity and inclusion in the industries where women dominate...
In high school, I wanted to take maths or civil engineering degree after graduation. Whilst my dad never said “no”, his words were “it’s not the kind of job suite for women. Imagine men will catcall you at construction sites etc” I understand he’s coming from the place of love & he’s protective of me. I just wish he can be a bit more open minded & not care too much about what’s “culturally appropriate”
Women are treated unfairly in every aspect of life. They are criticized for being obsessed with looks in the world where only women get wrinkles - men get "character lines"; only women age - men "mature". When woman succeeds in the "male" field - she must be ugly. When woman stands up for herself, she is labeled difficult at best, and b***h at worst - man, on the other hand, is called "assertive"....and list goes on and on. Women's indiscretions are judged harshly, while men's ....."oh, boys will be boys". The reality is that there are good, sensitive, objective men, as there are smart women. The gender or race has nothing to do with it.
I teach at an elementary STEM school in the SF Bay Area, and a good part of what we do is to teach our students that the gender thing is irrelevant. We had an after school coding group for girls that was taught by some local high school girls. I've sat in a couple of sessions and those girls were awesome role models. Our staff tech and I have been running another club that focuses on coding as well as engineering. We always been really proud of the fact that our group has several girls sign up every year. And watching the boys collaborate with and respect what the girls come up with is majorly cool. The tech guy and I like to think we're not only teaching technology, we're making things better for men and women.
I had good grades in high school. Nearing graduation (1970), my guidance counselor asked me if I wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. It's nice to see things have changed. Some.
My Dad was born in 1925. And it simply never occurred to him that a woman didn't have the capacity for ANY activity, unless she was honestly phyically incapable due to size or strength, same as if she were a man of same size and strength. I became a software engineer. It never even crossed my mind it wasn't typically a "woman's field". In fact, we currently have three female software architects, and both the VP and director of technology are women at my company. But I know a lot of girls/women get this discouragement most of their lives. My Dad was awesome. He actually tasked me with solving the nuclear fusion problem. Said I was smart enough and I should go do it :-) I didn't :-(
Years ago, I was at a wedding for twins, brother and sister, married a brother and sister on the same day. Both had gone into engineering, she was discouraged by everyone, he was encouraged, he even made it part of his speech at the wedding, he said that she proved who the engineer in the family was, she was obtaining her PHD in engineering and he had flunked out of his second year of the program for the third time! I always thought it took a lot of guts to basically announce this to the world and it was over 30 years ago and she was the only female at that time in engineering at that university.
I hope Mauldin's prowess as a writer is not lost to engineering, he expresses his ideas with remarkable clarity, and the effect is pleasantly devastating.
All the macho males (strong like ox, dumb like ox) are downvoting everything positive. As usual. Some people just don't want their neolithic world-views joggled.
Load More Replies...My daughter is pursuing a STEM career. My high school guidance counselor told my mother and me that I scored very high in mechanics. He didn't explain what that meant. Only as a mature adult did I realize I should have studied engineering. We're making sure our daughter has every opportunity.
Kudos to this honest young man! But, i have to say that I am a little saddened. I am 74. I am a retired (female) engineer who got her MS in Engineering in 1973. I had hoped that today's young women pursuing an engineering career would be able to look back to the "Dark Ages" of the 1960s-70s and say, "How awful that such sexism occurred during that unenlightened age!". But, sadly, we are still in the Dark Ages.
I was with you until the last sentence. 1970's? That was real sexism. Rampant. Today? Fuuuuuuck no. Today you're treated like a hero if you are a female who goes into a STEM field. It's encouraged at ever level. You had to endure a bunch of b******t, but todays girls have a cakewalk to a pedestal in comparison.
Load More Replies...Very brave, making such a statement on such and controversial, for lack of a better word, topic.
I think perhaps there is more equality in Europe than in the USA, though I have no statistics to back this up. Maybe because in Europe there have been more equality laws for far longer. I believe (and willing to be corrected) that there is still no law in USA that says women must be paid equal pay as men for the same work.
One, it most certainly is absolutely illegal in the USA for women to be paid less than men for the same task over the same time period (which just makes sense or else companies would hire only women) and also, Sweden is the most "gotta make the sexes equal" country on earth and their disparity is actually growing! Don't take my word for it, hit the Googles.
Load More Replies...While I carry this sentiment in my heart, I've been taught to keep it to myself. I have been rebuffed by women 99% of the time I try to express it. Typically, the tone is along the lines of "You will never be able to understand our perspective, and your attempts are insulting. Go away and stay off our side." Glad this guy was able to get a positive response, though. Maybe there's hope yet.
Downvotes on a personal story that perfectly relates to the topic at hand. Nice. Sorry reality doesn't match what you wish it was. Just downvote and bury what doesn't support your viewpoint, right?
Load More Replies...It reminded me when back in 1st grade of highschool I was elected the president of class. Then at the end I resigned, because I was accused of being bossy. It hurt quite a lot, since I gave my heart to wellbeing of everyone and that they were treated right etc. Fast forward to 3rd and last grade when a group of students came up to me and asked if I could take up the presidnet mantle again, because 2nd grade was awful and they realized that I was well fitted for the position. I have not taken it anyway and I avoid leading anything up to this day. Makes me wonder, reading the text in the article, if I would be perceived the same way if I was a boy back then.
You have avoided leading because of some idiotic teenage stuff that happened when you were 14 or 15 years old? Wow! Perhaps the problem is not "the world" and their attitudes towards women, but you and your attitude to life. Everybody suffers drawbacks but normal people get back on their feet again and fight for what they want instead of spending the next twenty years feeling sorry for themselves.
Load More Replies...Ok, real talk. I don't understand what Virtue Signalling is and why it's bad. It seems like just being a good person.
Virtue signalling is just announcing to whomever you can get to listen, that you are such a good person and are on the right side of whatever issue. It's done as an end in itself, and is strictly self serving. It's done solely to let everyone know how great YOU are and has little, if anything, to do with the actual cause being talked about. It's really slimy. It's like those male feminists who talk about being "allies" and then you find out they are just creeps trying to sneak their way in and get laid.
Load More Replies...Havinga Ph.D. in physics, and having gone thru what he wrote and more, I have to say: BRAVO!!!
Goli - She hasn't got any kind of education. Someone with a doctorate would not be so illiterate.
Load More Replies...In 1989, a man purposely murdered 14 female engineering students at the École Polytechnique in Montreal blaming women in traditionally male occupations. The fight is not over.
Uh.....that's 30 years ago. Is there an epidemic of this going on somewhere we're unaware of?
Load More Replies...Last week there was an article here titled “ Dad Spends Months Talking To His Baby In The Womb, She Reacts To His Voice With The Biggest Smile Once Born.” In one of the photos of the newborn, she was wearing a onesie with the words “Little Fashion Girl.”
Ever here of "patronizing"? This is the tone this guy is taking and why you are feeling uncomfortable. He is coming from a position of power and is patting women on the head. Don't thank him. If he truly respected women he wouldn't write this oversimplified drivel.
Cudos to that guy ! what a new way to crush some pu&& . ONE OF THE MOST PICK UP LINE EVER.
Females most certainly aren't my equals, when it comes to writing one's name in the snow hands-free.
No one is impressed with the contents of your pants.
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