Does Development Deter Women From STEM? Urbanization, Broadened Access, and Sex Segregation in Cambodia

• In Event: Navigating Borders and Boundaries: Schooling Experiences of Immigrants and Others

Abstract

How does socioeconomic development shape women’s share of enrollment in specific STEM and STEM-related post-secondary fields – in a non-Western context such as Cambodia? Merging two sources of Cambodian national data, we leverage provincial census figures and institutional administrative data to estimate women's enrollment share in specific STEM and STEM-like fields. We find women’s education and labor force participation varies widely across provinces. More gender egalitarian provinces have fewer women majoring in information technology and health, although this effect lessens as model complexity increases in complexity. This within-country pattern is consistent with and helps explain the findings of recent cross-national, country-level studies. Future research may sharpen our understanding of how and why sex segregation varies within and between nations.

Authors

• Lara Perez-Felkner, Florida State University

• Samantha Nix, Florida State University

• John Felkner, Florida State University

• Melissa Magalhaes, Florida State University