What stops girls from pursuing science?

More girls think they are worse in Mathematics than boys, even when they are not. And it turns out that it is this low level of confidence that stops many women from pursuing higher education in science and engineering, according to a new study.

What study says…

When it comes to mathematics, girls rate their abilities markedly lower than boys, even when there is no observable difference between the two, the study found.Boys are significantly more confident in challenging mathematics contexts than otherwise identically talented girls.The findings are based on a study that followed 10th grade students in the US over a six-year period.

Despite a surge in college enrollment and degree attainment for girls worldwide in recent decades, women continue to remain under-represented in physics, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences (PMEC).