> The findings will likely seem controversial, since the idea that men and women have different inherent abilities is often used as a reason...to argue we should forget trying to recruit more women into the stem fields. But...that’s not quite what’s happening here. > In wealthy nations, [women] believe that they have the freedom to pursue [other] alternatives and not worry so much that they pay less.
The research does not seem to find that it is gender aptitude or interest differences that accounts for the disparity in STEM graduates.
> ...the percentage of girls who did excel in science or math was still larger than the number of women who were graduating with stem degrees. That means there’s something in even the most liberal societies that’s nudging women away from math and science, even when those are their best subjects.