Women in the United States and Kuwait have made advances as researchers and leaders in science, engineering, and medical disciplines, yet challenges and barriers remain to enter and advance in these fields in both countries. Building on recent collaborations, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences agreed on convening two workshops to identify evidence-based practices and resources for improving the inclusion of women as full participants in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion from the first workshop, held October 28-29, 2019, in Washington, D.C.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences
• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• COMMITTEE ON PROMISING PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING THE INCLUSION OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE: LESSONS FROM KUWAIT AND THE UNITED STATES—WORKSHOP SERIES
• Preface and Acknowledgments
• 1. Introduction
  • BACKGROUND OF THE WORKSHOP
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKSHOP AND THIS PUBLICATION
  • INTRODUCTORY REMARKS AND CONTEXT
• 2. Challenges and Barriers Facing Women to Enter and Thrive
  • FUTURE ROAD MAP FOR THE IMPACT OF ARAB WOMEN IN STEM FIELDS
  • HOW TO LEAD FEMALE RESEARCHERS IN A MALE COMMUNITY
  • NARRATIVES OF WOMEN IN A MAN’S WORLD
  • DISCUSSION
  • CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE “BRILLIANCE=MEN” STEREOTYPE
  • CHALLENGES OF BLACK WOMEN IN THE HEALTH-CARE INDUSTRY
  • GENDER AND CAREERS: WORK-FAMILY CHALLENGES, CHOICES, AND INTERVENTIONS
  • DISCUSSION
• 3. Evidence of Effective Programs, Practices, and Models for Recruiting Women
  • BEACON ON A HILL: FROM AUB TO THE ARAB WORLD
  • PIONEERING THE EMPOWERMENT OF YOUNG FEMALE ENGINEERS IN KUWAIT
  • PERCEIVED MACRO AND MESO BARRIERS TO KUWAITI WOMEN’S CAREER ADVANCEMENT
  • DISCUSSION
  • EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT DATA-DRIVEN POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT INCREASE DIVERSITY AND RETENTION
  • SUPPORTING STRUCTURAL CHANGE PROGRAMS
  • EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT AND PREPARE WOMEN
  • ASTRONOMICAL EVOLUTION THROUGH GRASSROOTS EFFORTS
  • DISCUSSION
  • KEYNOTE ADDRESS: THE ROAD FROM DAMASCUS—PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNEY
• 4. Curricula Structure and How It Affects the Attrition of Women in STEM in the United States, Kuwait, and the Arab World
  • OPPORTUNITIES OF KUWAITI FEMALES IN STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS
  • MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR STUDENTS ENTERING IN STEM FIELD MAJORS IN KUWAIT
  • INVESTIGATING REPRESENTATIONS OF GENDER IN PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS IN RELATION TO STEM
  • DISCUSSION
  • ALIGNING SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FUTURE EXPECTATIONS FOR STEM CAREERS: ROLE OF CURRICULAR STANDARDIZATION
  • INHIBITIONS TO WOMEN’S ENTRY INTO STEM AND POTENTIAL CHANGES
  • CURRICULAR PATHWAYS FROM SCHOOL TO THE STEM LABOR FORCE IN THE UNITED STATES
  • DISCUSSION
• Appendix A. Workshop Agenda
• Appendix B. Biographies of Planning Committee Members
• Appendix C. Biographies of Speakers
• Appendix D. Workshop Discussants

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. The Inclusion of Women in STEM in Kuwait and the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25820.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25820

Additional copies of this publication are available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

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