In order to increase the number of women entering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) launched the bipartisan Women in STEM Caucus in the U.S. Senate this week.
Sen. Capito teamed up with U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to unveil the new caucus. It aims to facilitate collaboration in Congress over how to expand access to STEM education for women, which hold less than one-third of all STEM jobs, the senator’s office said.
“STEM fields are where the in-demand jobs are right now, and it’s where they will be in the future. These are jobs in industries that are critical to our economy, will help our states and country as a whole grow,” Sen. Capito said. “However, as a former educator and college advisor, I have seen firsthand how young women often do not consider STEM education for career paths.”
The caucus has gained support from the Society of Women Engineers, the National Center for Women & Information, and the Association for Women in Mathematics, among others.
The “launch of the Senate Women in STEM Caucus is evidence of Senators Capito and Rosen’s commitment to supporting women and girls in STEM fields to ensure we have a strong, diverse research workforce here in West Virginia and across the country,” Dr. Gay Stewart, director of the West Virginia University Center for Excellence in STEM, said.
Sens. Capito and Rosen have teamed up before to advance STEM education for women. Their bipartisan Building Blocks of STEM Act was signed into law in 2019. That legislation provides research grants to study barriers to engaging young girls in STEM and builds support for early childhood STEM education.