Abstract

At the February 2018 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, we held a workshop for nearly 100 female STEM professionals focused on impostor syndrome and discovering and cultivating one’s voice. The workshop was designed to give women a forum to discuss communication and hiring bias in STEM fields—reflective of a systemic bias that exists in STEM culture—and to develop skills to combat damaging communication stereotypes that may impact career advancement. The answer to minimizing or eliminating the disparities for women in STEM is found by tackling the unconscious gender bias deeply immersed in STEM culture. It is not about a behavior change for women, but rather the inclusion of strategies, especially communication strategies, to help them navigate the broken system. We conclude with the importance of engaging the majority in culture change and also in holding leaders and institutions accountable for institutional change. We advocate for trainings for both women and men to educate and encourage dialogue on these important topics.