Abstract:

The retention of talents in science, technics, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is a key factor for stimulating the innovative development of society. Qualitative research allowed to analyze the views of women on academic career, values and priorities that affect their career intentions and choice of behavior strategies.

The analysis of incidents that women face in their daily professional activities has made it possible to identify existing barriers in the scientific career of STEM women's professors at the university. Different strategies of career behavior of women in the prevailing masculine culture of a technical university are singled out. The presence and extent of the impact of the barriers that impede the research career are unequally evaluated by women from the same university.

In some cases, women, assessing their professional status, do not feel gender discrimination at work. They choose and successfully implement the strategy of professional self-realization, they receive satisfaction from the recognition of their achievements by colleagues and students. The balance between woman's work and family, work and parenting is often due to the woman herself, to the help and support of her family (husband, parents).

However, even "successful in science" female professors of STEM disciplines at the university are often not oriented (do not pretend) to an administrative career, to higher status.

The analysis of incidents revealed the existence of a number of women who received STEM education, strategies for leaving the research academic career in the direction of choosing an alternative career option, outside the academic environment as a way to circumvent gender barriers in grant and publication activities.

The general consensus among all is a strong disagreement with the assumption of women's inability to innovate, with a low assessment of their intellectual abilities.

The findings are based on the online survey of teachers (N = 291, 2017), as well as a semi-formalized interview with women working in STEM-directions (N = 20, 2018).

Keywords:

Women, science and engineering, STEM, gender inequity, barriers.