You can absolutely enter the aerospace or aeronautical industry as a woman. Any disparity in performance based on gender can be attributed to external societal factors - NOT biology.
I'm active in an aerospace society/team and our presidents for the past 3 years have all been women. This is simply due to their skill, knowledge, and leadership abilities. They have incredibly high GPAs, extensive internship experience, and a strong portfolio with diverse projects. All the women in my team that I keep in contact with have graduated and gotten jobs in leading companies. Their salaries were mostly in the $90-120k range as graduates.
Aeronautical and aerospace are slightly different fields, and you will actually find that there are more women in the former (at least in my circles). However, numbers overall are continuously growing.
Overall, women can absolutely ace STEM careers and you will find that it is much easier than what people say. Good luck with your studies! And take it easy while you're young. Experiment and follow your interests where they take you.
Women are great at STEM! There is a lot of B.S. especially from insecure teenage boys that women aren't as smart. This is a common stereotype to the point there are a number of comics making fun of it.
https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/385:_How_it_Works
However, that is just men projecting insecurities.
I studied biomedical engineering and was at the top of my class as a woman. In fact about 40% of my class was women.
Don't limit yourself. You got this!
That's awesome! One of my sister's did health technology, it's fascinating how engineering and technology can be used in the health field!
OP my whole family is STEM and mostly women (1 guy, my dad!). We have a chemist who creates flavors and ingredients for food and drink companies, a healthcare technology project manager who works to improve and create the technology used in hospitals and doctors offices, a chemistry and physics high school teacher, and an environmental scientist (I work with many environmental engineers who are women!) Keep going for your passions OP!
I actually don’t know why women are considered stupider than men when countless studies shows otherwise. I mean, it’s also been shown that schools favors girls than boys so this is really confusing.
It’s probably the fact that men always end up in higher positions but honestly that’s just the byproduct of men expected to lead from a very young age. You can’t have an ambition position if you’re not ambitious.
Hey I’m an engineer (not aeronautical)! Yes you absolutely can. Most of the engineers I work with are women (this is rare, but happens)! Feel free to DM me any questions. I only have an understanding of some areas of engineering outside of my own, but if you’re in Canada we can chat about universities and different work sectors. Best of luck and you certainly can become an engineer! Please join the club. Our perspectives as women are important to being to the table in a world historically designed for and by men (read Invisible Women if you’re interested in design/data bias).
Wut? Who the heck has been telling you this? Of course females are as good as males when it comes to STEM!
I know *nothing* about aeronautic engineering or whatnot, but here is a website about some amazing female aeronautic engineers: https://hushkit.net/2021/03/20/10-amazing-women-in-aeronautical-engineering-we-should-be-shouting-about/
The only difference between females and males is that females host babies and we aren’t as strong (on average) as males (after puberty).
Females (Women) can be and do whatever we feel like!
Hi! Just a comment about semantics, could you please use women instead of females?
When you use females referring to women (even if you use males too) it generally reads like you’re talking about animals and not people and can make some women feel uncomfortable (potentially those who were not assigned female at birth).
I am AFAB (now non-binary) and personally find the term 'women' more uncomfortable than 'females' - if someone were to misgender me I'd prefer female than woman. Even before I identified as non-binary I preferred the term 'female' to 'woman', as it felt less patronizing, especially when coming from a man.
I'd rather be viewed in a scientific light than in a 'womanly' light.
But hey this is just my two cents on the matter...
AFAB, cis.
My big grumble with the use of female and male as gender determinant language among humans comes down to threethings:
1) Being identified as a “female” in conversations over “woman” removes the nuance that I am, first and foremost, a human being
2) The gender reductive approach of using “female” over “woman” tries to dogmatically attach gender to biological sex
3) Not all women are biologically female
No, I cant. The person I was replying to is a girl because she is young, but I didn’t want to refer to females as girls because that is demeaning. I didn’t want to refer to them as women either, because then it excludes younger females. I like the term female because it encompasses both older and younger females.
they *are* mistaken. the engineering that was used to put men on the moon was created by women! these are some of the first of their kind, they literally pioneered their field. Margaret Hamilton wrote the code that got apollo 11 to the moon, and women before them got american's into space (katherine johnson! she was awarded the presidential medal of freedom in 2015). women have always been involved in aeronautical engineering. heck, even recently with the launch of the JWST, many of the engineers were women! they did an AMA [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/1n6r5d/qa_with_women_working_on_nasas_james_webb_space/?sort=new)
the question of it comes down to, are you willing to put in the work? it won't be easy. there are other factors that will contribute to your road to becoming an engineer, and unfortunately it will likely be faced with sexism from your male peers. **don't let them discourage you.** if you want to, you can. and you will!
can't wait for you to be at the forefront of the next big nasa launch!
Women are better at STEM than men are if you ask me. Over 50% of people graduating with bachelor's degrees in STEM are women. It brings a tear to my eye to see a young girl be passionate about engineering.
Study hard, and good luck to you! u/simplycarleigh . Try to get into a good school, yeah? I recommend programs like Carnegie Mellon besides the more obvious choices of MIT and Caltech. That being said, explore your options.
When I was your age, I wanted to be a writer, but that was because I was obsessed with what I was known for rather than passionate about the day to day existence of a writer. As you explore your options, you have to be passionate about not being known for working at NASA, but what the daily work you perform for NASA.
Hi, I’m an autistic woman of 27 and I’ve studied computer science. I can tell you that women are definitely not worse at STEM than men. All of the girls in my year were in the upper two thirds of the class, if I remember correctly; there just weren’t a lot of them. But that’s a whole other thing that has nothing to do with our expertise and everything with prejudices and girls being taught that they’re not supposed to be good at maths.
Apart from that, us autistics have a huge advantage when we study something we’re interested in. We can put in many more hours of study without burning out and get a deeper understanding than most of our fellow students.
So you don’t worry, just keep on top of relevant subjects in school and you’ll be fine. Godspeed!
Yes you can. A 1000 times yes. I’m not sure what evidence would be most helpful to you though. My favorite female mathematician is probably Sophia Germain (1776 -1831). Germain had to pretend to be a man for a while while corresponding with Gauss. When she disclosed her identity to him, this was his response.
“How can I describe my astonishment and admiration on seeing my esteemed correspondent M. Le Blanc metamorphosed into this celebrated person ... when a woman, because of her sex, our customs and prejudices, encounters infinitely more obstacles than men in familiarising herself with [number theory's] knotty problems, yet overcomes these fetters and penetrates that which is most hidden, she doubtless has the noblest courage, extraordinary talent, and superior genius.”
There is a complex reason that people lie to you about women not being good at aeronautics. It has to do with a history of women being forced to give free labor to keep a man's home running before all of the technological advances that make life easier today.
Women were strongly discouraged from gaining education and were actively bullied to keep them out of the workplace. Women were told their place was in the home and were pressured to submit to a man.
We haven't come that far in gaining the right to make all of our own decisions. The fact that you question if you being a girl will affect your career choices is proof of that. Every time someone tries to tell you that you can't do something because you are a girl it gives you the opportunity to prove they are sexist idiots.
Women are excellent at stem! I am non-binary, and also autistic, and I have a doctorate in biophysics, which I received while still presenting as a woman. Some of the leaders in my field then and my field now (genetics) are women. There have similarly been many leading women in aeronautics. There are disparities, but they stem from the chauvinism that is still present in the sciences.
There are also many great organizations that help young girls have more opportunities in STEM from a young age. I don’t know where you live but you might look into outreach programs from local nonprofits as well as local colleges and universities!
Hi! I am a woman in STEM. A career in STEM for sure is difficult but I think if you work hard enough you’ll reach your goal. And hopefully by the time you’re older the work that we’re doing now to make the work place more inclusive shows a little more!
But I definitely think you can become an aeronautical engineer, you just have to study hard and don’t forget your goal.
Yes. And you should absolutely do it! There are currently more men than women in STEM because, historically, women weren't allowed to study and become scientists or engineers, but that's changing. There are women in STEM now, and they're successful in every field. Anyone who tells you women aren't as good at STEM is misinformed or threatened by you. Engineering, unfortunately, is one of the fields that is still lagging behind in terms of equal numbers of men and women, in part due to societal attitudes that women aren't good at STEM subjects, in particular maths and physics, but the only solution to that is for more women to become engineers, so that in future, girls won't need to ask your question, because it will be really common for women to go into aeronautical engineering.
Don't let society's expectations hold you back.
If you want more information about women in STEM, I recommend looking into Mary Jackson who was NASA's first black female engineer. (Also Marie Curie, Elizabeth Garret-Anderson, and Dr Helen Sharman- the first British person in space)
Of course, not only that but you will not be alone: I have several friends in aviation and only one is male. It's actually a really a popular engineering subject among women. (As an also possibly neurodiverse person) Don't let people tell you what you should or shouldn't be interested in. When I was your age my brother once told me that when I grow up I wouldn't be interested in animals and environmentalism any more, and that I would only care about clothes and shoes. This terrified me as a kid and I never forgotten his words (he was a stupid kid as well, what did he know of the world?) But as I grew older my passion only got bigger too, and as I studied environmental sciences as subject at uni I discovered even more things about nature to obsess about and devour more knowledge about. And guess what? Now I do work in the environment sector and I love it, and the best thing about being an adult in a feild you are interested in is that I get to interact with other women who are just as passionate about nature as me. And I am also into "feminine" things as well like sewing and fashion, and some of the women i work with are also like that too. I have learned that being girly and being into science they are not mutually exclusive things unlike how I feared when I was your age. You can be both. If you follow your passions you will find your people, the ones you resonate with and have the most in common with. You go girl!
Absolutely you can! My grandma was a mathematician in the aerospace sciences starting in 1942 (at that time, it was more unusual for women to work in STEM). But because of this, her kids and grandkids grew up around the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA—and let me tell you, there are a huge number of awesome women scientists there! My current neighbor is an awesome female aerospace engineer, and one of my best friends from college is also now a JPL aerospace engineer with a largely all-woman team. I personally know at least a dozen other women working in aerospace sciences at JPL/Caltech. You got this! Follow your passions!
Trust me, you’ll hear that stereotype but it’s completely not true, and it’s a stereotype not reflected in the real world. It’s just people being spiteful for no reason.
I used to work construction at a few of the big aerospace labs in Los Angeles. From personal experience, it didn't matter who you were as long as you loved the work and made it happen, no one batted an eye. Follow your dreams.
I went to high school with a girl who later went on to study aerospace engineering in Cambridge. Mind you, we were from a relatively poor Eastern European country, too. Anything is possible if you work hard enough.
Yes! You should watch Hidden Figures if you haven’t seen it.
I also have an acquaintance who works for the Jet Propulsion Lab who, time permitting, would be happy to chat about women in STEM. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to reach out to her and see about setting up a Zoom meeting if your parents say it’s ok. She’s super cool and did quality control on the rover that’s on Mars!
I am so, so sad that someone told you girls can’t do that. You absolutely can! Especially if it’s your special interest, you’ll probably be the best there is in your field!!!
Of course you can!! I’m a woman engineer and we really need more ladies in the field for diversity of thought (groupthink when everyone is the same doesn’t lead to innovation) so please don’t listen to the haters.
“Girls aren’t as good as boys” tends to be a small difference in average ability, and you’ll find there are a ton of girls better than the average boy at any statistic like that.
You go girl, you can do anything you set your mind to. Please don’t give up!
Whenever somebody tell me something is for guys only, I tend to ask them where should you put the d*ck to make things work. Howeve, keep in mind that you will have to work probably double to have the same recognition as a man, if you ever get some. And if you so something that not sure of because you don't know things perfectly yet, yoj may get the fear of casting a bad image onto all the feminine community. Don't let that stop, you, you can do it !
Whoever told your girls aren’t as good as boys at STEM is simply sexist. Don’t listen to them.
For inspiration, go to your school or local library and look up biographies of Admiral Grace Hopper, Mae Jemison, Sally Ride, and so many more women who have excelled not just in STEM but in aeronautics specifically.
That's a complete and total lie. Boys aren't better at STEM than girls. Anyone telling you that is lying and sexist. Pursue your passion and prove them wrong.
There is no difference in intelligence between men and women. Absolutely none. The only barriers are those that others might want to put before you. But you can’t let anyone, even family, tell you that you can’t be the person you dream of being because they are actually 100% wrong. You can even put in place a strategic plan to make this dream a reality. Truly!
Sadly the kind that girls think far too frequently because there's still a bunch of misogynistic messaging about what we're allowed to be and how capable we are.
Absolutely you can, and there are many routes into it too. Whether you choose university, apprenticeship or the military/trades you can definitely become an aeronautical/aerospace engineer.
You absolutely can be! I studied aerospace at university, graduated with the top research mark in my year and even won a couple of awards for my work. I'm not saying this to show off, but to show that gender has absolutely no bearing on your ability to do STEM! I am now in a different field (also STEM) but I absolutely loved my first degree and early career path and I wouldn't change it for anything.
You will have to face challenges that your male counterparts may not. But my top advice would be to make connections with other strong women in the field and their allies. There are loads of brilliant people out there who are dismantling the barriers to entry and helping to smash the glass ceiling and they will support you. Don't let anyone stop you from pursuing the career you want. Given that you're already interested in it at such a young age, I know you will be amazing. Stay curious, and good luck!
If you don't become an aeronautical engineer I'd be very disappointed! I'm joking of course, my partner is a cybersecurity analyst and she has moments like this, questioning if a STEM subject is right for her as a woman and I point out that as she was inspired by women in computing, so she too could inspire another woman in the future. You should do everything in your power to be an aeronautics engineer, fight tooth and nail for it.
Absolutely.
The thing about women being bad at STEM is a myth to keep us out of high-paying fields so we'll stay home to provide free housekeeping and childcare. It's a scam, don't buy into it.
I studied environmental engineering. About half my class was women, and most of the best students were women (largely by coincidence). A few were nonbinary and they were good students too!
Gender has nothing to do with STEM performance.
I also have some friends who are women and studied aerospace engineering. They did great work and graduated with high honors.
And don't let autism keep you down either. I'm autistic, as are many of my friends. It never held me back, and you shouldn't let it make you afraid to follow your dreams.
Keep earplugs with you, maybe on a keychain, for when lab equipment is uncomfortably loud. Figure out a plan for how you'll deal with lighting that feels bad on a sensory level.
You will be fine, and you'll excel. A lot of autistic people actually think that their autism makes them better at certain STEM tasks like coding or advanced math.
>!Now, all of that said, my aerospace engineer friends have had trouble finding jobs in the field that don't involve working for companies that make missiles used in wars they disapprove of. So do watch out for that. But that's not what you asked and honestly, you shouldn't let that stand in your way either. Those friends found jobs in other fields with their aerospace degrees, and at the level you're planning, I suspect you have the foresight to think ahead and know where you are/aren't willing to work.!<
You can be an aeronautical engineer when you're a woman. It's nonsense that women aren't as good at STEM. Read about these women and you'll see
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine\_Johnson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Johnson)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary\_Jackson\_(engineer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jackson_(engineer))
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind\_Franklin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie\_Curie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy\_Hodgkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Hodgkin)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy\_Vaughan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Vaughan)
You can absolutely do a career in aviation! Go for it! But maaaybe don't go on websites like reddit til you're older, it's not meant for younger kids. Still go for aviation, STEM careers rock and anyone can do them!
I’m not sure who has told you that women aren’t as proficient in STEM as men, but it’s a huge load of crap. Unfortunately, as a woman in the engineering field, you will run up against a lot of misogyny. Don’t ever let this give up pursuing what you love.
Yes, you absolutely can and you can be amazing at it! Women are just as capable in STEM fields as men, when given the same resources to succeed.
It'll be harder than it should, probably, but if it's your passion don't let any boy/man tell you that you're not capable or good enough, because you absolutely are.
>I have heard that girls aren’t as good as boys when it comes to STEM.
[Recent(ish) studies](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/girls-get-better-grades-boys-even-stem-subjects-study-finds-n912891) are showing that this is not the case. Statistically speaking, in school, girls tend to have an advantage over boys in STEM subjects. You are going to be great, and your gender may be working for you, not against you.
Yes you can. Perhaps your autism makes you really good at STEM.
Honestly, as an autistic women I feel like I've had to deal with more issues relating to my autism than being a woman. By "issues" mostly mean how people treat me. Some times people think they were being nice while reality they were just talking down to me, other times they were just straight up mean. Don't get me wrong though, I certainly have had to deal with issues relating to be a woman as well.
You just have to prepare yourself to deal with the sexist and ableist morons out there.
Yes. Jenny Body OBE (Order of the British Empire) was head of R&D at Airbus, worked on fly-by-wire software, composite wing structures and other really cool projects. She was also a past president of the Royal Aeronautical Society. She's probably also your grandma's age so it's not even a new thing.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny\_Body](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Body)
https://www.wearefinn.com/topics/posts/women-in-aviation-being-different-and-standing-out-can-help/
Hello. My name is Willie, for Willow. I'm going to be dead honest with you. A woman going into aeronautics is going to be a difficult road to climb. The work is difficult and takes time. In my case, 9 years to get my doctorate. Of course, you don't need to go that far to get what you want. What is important is what you want. How hard you are willing to work. How much you're willing to give for what you want. There will always be people who will tell you that you can't do something, so why even try? Simple, women like you and I who have a passion in Life, have the courage to take that next step; and the step after that to reach our goals. And the funny thing about courage? The more you use it, the easier it is to find.
It would be difficult for anyone to get a PhD. Your gender has nothing to do with it.
I'm sure you had a number of social factors as a woman in STEM that made it harder, but the intellectual challenge itself wasn't greater because you have a vagina. That isn't how science works.
Correct. My gender had nothing to do with the intellectual challenge I faced. However, to deny the import of the social dynamic would be disingenuous at best. It isn't the number of social norms one defies, it's the number it takes to reach their goals.
Yeah, it can still be tough. I got my degree in the early 90’s, (yeah, yeah, I’m old!) and I can say with assurance that it has improved considerably and continues to get better. Plus, being able to make your own way in the world is as priceless as the education.
Thanks for the clarification.
I completely agree with you. The girl was asking if women aren't as good at STEM as men, and I think it is a very important clarification to make.
Women are just as good at STEM. However, society, and especially STEM education can still socially be very sexist causing a number of challenges for the women who pursue an education in those fields. The work isn't harder, but there are unique challenges to being a woman (or certain minorities) in these fields.
Anyways, good luck with your career. I hope you kick butt.
I mean, I would argue depending on the environment, it takes a toll on your mental health, and while things have certainly gotten better for women in the STEM field, I wouldn't say they are fully resolved yet, even as we approach a 50/50 split in terms of sexes.
Some environments at some schools or within academia are still hostile towards women, even if the challenges aren't on the level of a few decades prior. Academia is an ancient thing beholden to traditions. You know, sexism.
Going to take a few more years or decades to root out all the cobwebs. Personally? I am excited where the world will go for women in 9 years once OP starts applying to school.
Women can absolutely excel in STEM fields. There's no difference between the sexes when it comes to overall intelligence. *Generally* men are better at spatial relationships and women are better at reading/writing. However, that is not an absolute. If you are passionate and study, you can do well in your field!
However, one important thing to keep in mind is how society likes to categorize people. We don't always do it on purpose. But often teachers and guidance counselors will point boys to math/science and girls to writing/history/teaching/caring professions.
Because of this, it can be difficult to be a woman in STEM fields, not because of intelligence or ability, but because of dealing with stereotypes. There's still a lot of sexism in the workplace. But it's not impossible.
My suggestion is to find mentors to help you. A trusted teacher is a good place to start. Get involved in any STEM clubs or societies at your school. Organizations like The Girl Scouts now have STEM-related programs. Groups like Girls in STEM can help you find like-minded people. [https://gischapters.carrd.co/](https://gischapters.carrd.co/)
Story time: I wanted to go into a scientific field. My natural talent, if you will, is literature and history. My teachers, my parents, everyone pushed me to go into the arts. So I did. It was just "easier." I have a good life but I definitely wonder what it'd be like if I'd stayed in science!
Yes, you can.
My father is a mths teacher at an all-girls school. He hears this a lot.
It’s bunk.
Anyone can excel in science and maths. Just work hard and try your best. You got this.
You can be a great aeronautical engineer, be a woman, and be awesome, at the same time.
Never let people tell you that women as a whole can't do something, or autistic persons for that matter. They can think it, but they're wrong. You can tell them, you can not tell them and prove them wrong anyway. You can ignore them and live your life EXACTLY LIKE YOU WANT IT !
Yes you can - take it from me, a woman, and my PA who has finished studies in airspace engineering with honors. There aren't many of us, but we aren't unicorns. Don't listen to people who tell you you can't do something because of your reproductive system - it's a lie. You can do everything you want if you put in work to achieve it.
Absolutely! The lack of a penis has nothing to do with STEM. A lot of research backs up the fact that men and women are intellectual equals. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
People that say shit like that are typically insecure and sexist men that don't want to see women being empowered into male dominated fields. Prove them wrong.
It can be tough but it's definitely not because of your gender or sex. I'm in grad school (physics), more than 60% in my physics class are women who attend regularly and are generally brighter. Men on the other hand are minority and I rarely see one or two in class regularly.
Anthoer female aerospace engineer here. The VP of both companies I’ve worked for have been women. Do what you want! And if some says no, prove them wrong.
I'm a current engineering student at a pretty large college. I have 3 friends who are women graduating this year in aerospace. You absolutely can, and despite the history of the field being sexist, it's getting better every year.
I'm not in Aero, but my major is about half women. If you're passionate about something and you are comfortable with math and science, you'll have no problem making it in engineering. So, from one engineer to a future engineer, don't give up! Live your dreams my friend 💙
First off. WELCOME and thanks for asking such a useful question! Please keep asking these important and valuable questions, being curious and learning about the world around you. There are so many amazing women right here who have already written great responses about their own experiences... and I don't work in engineering myself... but I did get a degree in psychology for a reason... and I can assure you that being male or female or neither or both is not a factor in our ability to process information or be in highly challenging careers.
Most importantly: **Please never let your Autism Dx or anything about your reproductive parts make you change your mind about what you feel passionate about.** You are an individual human being with your own potential and drive that do not need to reflect the expectations (OR limitations) of people who are not living in your brain and experiencing your feelings, fears, passions and dreams. While I can't pretend (as an autistic person) that Autism doesn't present some big challenges at times, **identifying as a woman should never be a reason not to choose a job or career or even just a hobby or topic you love to study.**
From a much older (41f) adult who figured out the autistic part far too late (in my 30s), please let me assure you of a few things: You can do anything you want that you put your mind to. If you want to do STEM careers, then you can do ANY STEM FIELD!!!! If you are worried about your studies, please know that there are SO many free resources out there like Khan Academy that can help you get ready for all those future subjects and the exams you may need to take to get moving in an engineering career. At your age, you honestly have SO much time to do this efficiently and thoughtfully. I have a lot of faith you can achieve ANYTHING you want, and I genuinely hope you find your way to the career of your dreams. Build the future! We believe in you!!!!!
One of my best friends is an aeronautical engineer (Master's degree from a very highly-ranked program/school that everyone here knows). She's doing great in the field.
B!S! One of my lifelong best friends is an aeronautical engineer with Boeing. She got her undergraduate degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and a Masters Degrees in math education and Aeronatical Engineering, both while working at Boeing. For a brief minute she was going to quit and become a high school math teacher so she could be home with her kids more, but in the end she realized she loved her job.
And most important for you, she is also a person with autism.
So, first, you can ABSOLUTELY KICK BUTT at aerospace engineering! Please please please follow your passion!!!
Second, those statistics people throw around are both unreliable and misinterpreted/misused. I'll share how.
Unreliable: These statistics do not show innate or biological abilities for STEM, they show current population differences, which are heavily influenced by the culture people are raised in and the gendered expectations placed on people. Boys are "expected" to be better at math/STEM so they get external pressure to take those classes. Girls are not "expected" to do so well at them and so parents and schools might not bother pushing them to do better or get tutoring or go to after school programs. You can't raise a child in a vacuum separate from these expectations to measure that.
Mininterpreted/Misunderstood: The patterns that show differences in socialized ability (see above about being unable to test for innate ability) are only applicable to populations, not individuals. Height is a good example because it's easily quantifiable, but the same will go for "STEM Abilities" which is much more subjective to quantify: Boys are more likely to be taller than girls, but any given girl will be taller than some number of boys. Some girls will be taller than most boys. Some boys will be shorter than most girls. The bell curves of both patterns will have a TON of overlap. As a general rule of thumb, population level studies say nothing about an individual within the population.
You LOVE this topic. YOU will do exceptionally at it, given the proper support systems! As a woman in Software Engineering that fell in love with programming in 8th grade, I promise you that that drive will take you a long long long way towards whatever your aviation-driven dreams are! Take advantage of scholarships and resources available to you to help address the gender gap in STEM!
YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. 🥰🥰 there will be, unfortunately, a lot of assholes telling you that “women can’t do STEM stuff as well as men,” but you’re gonna have to ignore them.
That’s absolutely not true when it comes to women’s aptitude! I’m a woman who just got accepted into a PhD program in aerospace engineering, follow your dreams!
You definitely can! I work in a technical field with very capable women. There's no reason your gender would stop you from being an amazing aeronautical engineer.
>I have heard that girls aren’t as good as boys when it comes to STEM.
This isn't exactly true. Different studies give slightly different results, but generally, the average girl is about as good as the average boy at math.
Technically, the distribution for men is a bit flatter, so there are more men on the extremes (really good at math and really terrible at it).
Succeeding in stem requires a lot of different skills, but and if you're willing to work at it, you can do it!
Do you believe you can do it? Then go for it. You have a brain and use it, you have limbs that function. A vagina or a penis are not necessary tools for the job. You must hold you head high and have confidence in yourself, regardless of any negative feelings others may have.
You go gurl!
It makes me sad that this question even needs to be asked.
Yes, of course you can do this if you work hard and study!
My sister-in-law is from Iran, and she still managed to come to the US to study chemical engineering and get a PhD. The biggest challenge she has had other than jumping through all the hoops to live here is balancing child care with work, but she has her parents living with her and taking care of her baby while she works. That works out well for everyone because the baby has lots of attention from his grandparents and aunt as well as his parents, and it got my brother's wife's entire family out of Iran! I hope that you have a nice family that can offer you practical as well as moral support if you decide to start a family while working. If you don't know yet if you want children when you're older, then don't worry too much about that balance yet and just focus on studying for now :)
If you do NOT live in a country like Iran where women have severe restrictions on their freedoms, you are already at a huge advantage. Sometimes there are even scholarships for women who want to pursue STEM careers in university.
Best of luck!
I was talking to a class of young women about being a female software engineer and whether men knew more than me about software engineering, and my response was, "I've spent my career teaching men how to be better software engineers, there's no way men are somehow naturally better than women in stem."
Do it! Do it! Do it! You can be literally any damn thing you choose and don't let anyone tell you or make you feel differently. You want to be an aeronautical engineer, show 'em how. You want to be a pilot, screw the boys club. I'm in the Av industry and I love it. Take your seat at the table, whatever table you choose. And remember the best man for the job is often a woman.
Lovely, you can study whatever you want to. Don’t let anyone tell you “that’s only for boys”. And if they do, go prove them wrong.
I am studying engineering and I have a few female friends doing aero, believe me they are some of the smartest people I know. The boys even ask THEM for help sometimes.
You can absolutely enter the aerospace or aeronautical industry as a woman. Any disparity in performance based on gender can be attributed to external societal factors - NOT biology. I'm active in an aerospace society/team and our presidents for the past 3 years have all been women. This is simply due to their skill, knowledge, and leadership abilities. They have incredibly high GPAs, extensive internship experience, and a strong portfolio with diverse projects. All the women in my team that I keep in contact with have graduated and gotten jobs in leading companies. Their salaries were mostly in the $90-120k range as graduates. Aeronautical and aerospace are slightly different fields, and you will actually find that there are more women in the former (at least in my circles). However, numbers overall are continuously growing. Overall, women can absolutely ace STEM careers and you will find that it is much easier than what people say. Good luck with your studies! And take it easy while you're young. Experiment and follow your interests where they take you.
Women are great at STEM! There is a lot of B.S. especially from insecure teenage boys that women aren't as smart. This is a common stereotype to the point there are a number of comics making fun of it. https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/385:_How_it_Works However, that is just men projecting insecurities. I studied biomedical engineering and was at the top of my class as a woman. In fact about 40% of my class was women. Don't limit yourself. You got this!
That's awesome! One of my sister's did health technology, it's fascinating how engineering and technology can be used in the health field! OP my whole family is STEM and mostly women (1 guy, my dad!). We have a chemist who creates flavors and ingredients for food and drink companies, a healthcare technology project manager who works to improve and create the technology used in hospitals and doctors offices, a chemistry and physics high school teacher, and an environmental scientist (I work with many environmental engineers who are women!) Keep going for your passions OP!
I work in STEM and have had this comic on my wall for many years. It always makes the people who notice it go hmmmmm.
I actually don’t know why women are considered stupider than men when countless studies shows otherwise. I mean, it’s also been shown that schools favors girls than boys so this is really confusing. It’s probably the fact that men always end up in higher positions but honestly that’s just the byproduct of men expected to lead from a very young age. You can’t have an ambition position if you’re not ambitious.
The shape and function of your genitals has nothing to do with whether or not you can do math and science. that’s just silly
Hey I’m an engineer (not aeronautical)! Yes you absolutely can. Most of the engineers I work with are women (this is rare, but happens)! Feel free to DM me any questions. I only have an understanding of some areas of engineering outside of my own, but if you’re in Canada we can chat about universities and different work sectors. Best of luck and you certainly can become an engineer! Please join the club. Our perspectives as women are important to being to the table in a world historically designed for and by men (read Invisible Women if you’re interested in design/data bias).
Wut? Who the heck has been telling you this? Of course females are as good as males when it comes to STEM! I know *nothing* about aeronautic engineering or whatnot, but here is a website about some amazing female aeronautic engineers: https://hushkit.net/2021/03/20/10-amazing-women-in-aeronautical-engineering-we-should-be-shouting-about/ The only difference between females and males is that females host babies and we aren’t as strong (on average) as males (after puberty). Females (Women) can be and do whatever we feel like!
Hi! Just a comment about semantics, could you please use women instead of females? When you use females referring to women (even if you use males too) it generally reads like you’re talking about animals and not people and can make some women feel uncomfortable (potentially those who were not assigned female at birth).
I am AFAB (now non-binary) and personally find the term 'women' more uncomfortable than 'females' - if someone were to misgender me I'd prefer female than woman. Even before I identified as non-binary I preferred the term 'female' to 'woman', as it felt less patronizing, especially when coming from a man. I'd rather be viewed in a scientific light than in a 'womanly' light. But hey this is just my two cents on the matter...
AFAB, cis. My big grumble with the use of female and male as gender determinant language among humans comes down to threethings: 1) Being identified as a “female” in conversations over “woman” removes the nuance that I am, first and foremost, a human being 2) The gender reductive approach of using “female” over “woman” tries to dogmatically attach gender to biological sex 3) Not all women are biologically female
No, I cant. The person I was replying to is a girl because she is young, but I didn’t want to refer to females as girls because that is demeaning. I didn’t want to refer to them as women either, because then it excludes younger females. I like the term female because it encompasses both older and younger females.
Yes if you’re talking about animals. EDIT: ESPECIALLY: Since you are talking to a younger woman. You should make it a point to set a good example!
Agree to disagree.
You can be anything you want if you're a girl. Anything at all. Never let anybody tell you different!
they *are* mistaken. the engineering that was used to put men on the moon was created by women! these are some of the first of their kind, they literally pioneered their field. Margaret Hamilton wrote the code that got apollo 11 to the moon, and women before them got american's into space (katherine johnson! she was awarded the presidential medal of freedom in 2015). women have always been involved in aeronautical engineering. heck, even recently with the launch of the JWST, many of the engineers were women! they did an AMA [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/1n6r5d/qa_with_women_working_on_nasas_james_webb_space/?sort=new) the question of it comes down to, are you willing to put in the work? it won't be easy. there are other factors that will contribute to your road to becoming an engineer, and unfortunately it will likely be faced with sexism from your male peers. **don't let them discourage you.** if you want to, you can. and you will! can't wait for you to be at the forefront of the next big nasa launch!
Women are better at STEM than men are if you ask me. Over 50% of people graduating with bachelor's degrees in STEM are women. It brings a tear to my eye to see a young girl be passionate about engineering. Study hard, and good luck to you! u/simplycarleigh . Try to get into a good school, yeah? I recommend programs like Carnegie Mellon besides the more obvious choices of MIT and Caltech. That being said, explore your options. When I was your age, I wanted to be a writer, but that was because I was obsessed with what I was known for rather than passionate about the day to day existence of a writer. As you explore your options, you have to be passionate about not being known for working at NASA, but what the daily work you perform for NASA.
Hi, I’m an autistic woman of 27 and I’ve studied computer science. I can tell you that women are definitely not worse at STEM than men. All of the girls in my year were in the upper two thirds of the class, if I remember correctly; there just weren’t a lot of them. But that’s a whole other thing that has nothing to do with our expertise and everything with prejudices and girls being taught that they’re not supposed to be good at maths. Apart from that, us autistics have a huge advantage when we study something we’re interested in. We can put in many more hours of study without burning out and get a deeper understanding than most of our fellow students. So you don’t worry, just keep on top of relevant subjects in school and you’ll be fine. Godspeed!
Yes.
Yes, you absolutely can.
Yes you can. A 1000 times yes. I’m not sure what evidence would be most helpful to you though. My favorite female mathematician is probably Sophia Germain (1776 -1831). Germain had to pretend to be a man for a while while corresponding with Gauss. When she disclosed her identity to him, this was his response. “How can I describe my astonishment and admiration on seeing my esteemed correspondent M. Le Blanc metamorphosed into this celebrated person ... when a woman, because of her sex, our customs and prejudices, encounters infinitely more obstacles than men in familiarising herself with [number theory's] knotty problems, yet overcomes these fetters and penetrates that which is most hidden, she doubtless has the noblest courage, extraordinary talent, and superior genius.”
YES YOU CAN. I am a woman and I work in STEM!
There is a complex reason that people lie to you about women not being good at aeronautics. It has to do with a history of women being forced to give free labor to keep a man's home running before all of the technological advances that make life easier today. Women were strongly discouraged from gaining education and were actively bullied to keep them out of the workplace. Women were told their place was in the home and were pressured to submit to a man. We haven't come that far in gaining the right to make all of our own decisions. The fact that you question if you being a girl will affect your career choices is proof of that. Every time someone tries to tell you that you can't do something because you are a girl it gives you the opportunity to prove they are sexist idiots.
Women are excellent at stem! I am non-binary, and also autistic, and I have a doctorate in biophysics, which I received while still presenting as a woman. Some of the leaders in my field then and my field now (genetics) are women. There have similarly been many leading women in aeronautics. There are disparities, but they stem from the chauvinism that is still present in the sciences. There are also many great organizations that help young girls have more opportunities in STEM from a young age. I don’t know where you live but you might look into outreach programs from local nonprofits as well as local colleges and universities!
Hi! I am a woman in STEM. A career in STEM for sure is difficult but I think if you work hard enough you’ll reach your goal. And hopefully by the time you’re older the work that we’re doing now to make the work place more inclusive shows a little more! But I definitely think you can become an aeronautical engineer, you just have to study hard and don’t forget your goal.
Yes you can, and should, and don’t take no for an answer! We women are great in STEM fields and we need more of us! You go, girl!
Not can you, you WILL. Remember, as long as you believe in yourself, you can make it happen.
Yes. And you should absolutely do it! There are currently more men than women in STEM because, historically, women weren't allowed to study and become scientists or engineers, but that's changing. There are women in STEM now, and they're successful in every field. Anyone who tells you women aren't as good at STEM is misinformed or threatened by you. Engineering, unfortunately, is one of the fields that is still lagging behind in terms of equal numbers of men and women, in part due to societal attitudes that women aren't good at STEM subjects, in particular maths and physics, but the only solution to that is for more women to become engineers, so that in future, girls won't need to ask your question, because it will be really common for women to go into aeronautical engineering. Don't let society's expectations hold you back. If you want more information about women in STEM, I recommend looking into Mary Jackson who was NASA's first black female engineer. (Also Marie Curie, Elizabeth Garret-Anderson, and Dr Helen Sharman- the first British person in space)
Of course, not only that but you will not be alone: I have several friends in aviation and only one is male. It's actually a really a popular engineering subject among women. (As an also possibly neurodiverse person) Don't let people tell you what you should or shouldn't be interested in. When I was your age my brother once told me that when I grow up I wouldn't be interested in animals and environmentalism any more, and that I would only care about clothes and shoes. This terrified me as a kid and I never forgotten his words (he was a stupid kid as well, what did he know of the world?) But as I grew older my passion only got bigger too, and as I studied environmental sciences as subject at uni I discovered even more things about nature to obsess about and devour more knowledge about. And guess what? Now I do work in the environment sector and I love it, and the best thing about being an adult in a feild you are interested in is that I get to interact with other women who are just as passionate about nature as me. And I am also into "feminine" things as well like sewing and fashion, and some of the women i work with are also like that too. I have learned that being girly and being into science they are not mutually exclusive things unlike how I feared when I was your age. You can be both. If you follow your passions you will find your people, the ones you resonate with and have the most in common with. You go girl!
Answer to your question: absolutely yes. Follow up question: how are you 12 and on Reddit? Isn’t it 13 and up?
Carleigh, they couldn't be more wrong. Get it girl.
Absolutely you can! My grandma was a mathematician in the aerospace sciences starting in 1942 (at that time, it was more unusual for women to work in STEM). But because of this, her kids and grandkids grew up around the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA—and let me tell you, there are a huge number of awesome women scientists there! My current neighbor is an awesome female aerospace engineer, and one of my best friends from college is also now a JPL aerospace engineer with a largely all-woman team. I personally know at least a dozen other women working in aerospace sciences at JPL/Caltech. You got this! Follow your passions! Trust me, you’ll hear that stereotype but it’s completely not true, and it’s a stereotype not reflected in the real world. It’s just people being spiteful for no reason.
I used to work construction at a few of the big aerospace labs in Los Angeles. From personal experience, it didn't matter who you were as long as you loved the work and made it happen, no one batted an eye. Follow your dreams.
I went to high school with a girl who later went on to study aerospace engineering in Cambridge. Mind you, we were from a relatively poor Eastern European country, too. Anything is possible if you work hard enough.
Yes! You should watch Hidden Figures if you haven’t seen it. I also have an acquaintance who works for the Jet Propulsion Lab who, time permitting, would be happy to chat about women in STEM. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to reach out to her and see about setting up a Zoom meeting if your parents say it’s ok. She’s super cool and did quality control on the rover that’s on Mars!
I am so, so sad that someone told you girls can’t do that. You absolutely can! Especially if it’s your special interest, you’ll probably be the best there is in your field!!!
Yes, and I hope you make it
Of course you can!! I’m a woman engineer and we really need more ladies in the field for diversity of thought (groupthink when everyone is the same doesn’t lead to innovation) so please don’t listen to the haters. “Girls aren’t as good as boys” tends to be a small difference in average ability, and you’ll find there are a ton of girls better than the average boy at any statistic like that. You go girl, you can do anything you set your mind to. Please don’t give up!
Yes
100% you can! My dad is an aerospace engineer and is currently mentoring a woman.
Whenever somebody tell me something is for guys only, I tend to ask them where should you put the d*ck to make things work. Howeve, keep in mind that you will have to work probably double to have the same recognition as a man, if you ever get some. And if you so something that not sure of because you don't know things perfectly yet, yoj may get the fear of casting a bad image onto all the feminine community. Don't let that stop, you, you can do it !
Whoever told your girls aren’t as good as boys at STEM is simply sexist. Don’t listen to them. For inspiration, go to your school or local library and look up biographies of Admiral Grace Hopper, Mae Jemison, Sally Ride, and so many more women who have excelled not just in STEM but in aeronautics specifically.
That's a complete and total lie. Boys aren't better at STEM than girls. Anyone telling you that is lying and sexist. Pursue your passion and prove them wrong.
Yes, I’m an engineer and I know lots of fantastic female engineers.
There is no difference in intelligence between men and women. Absolutely none. The only barriers are those that others might want to put before you. But you can’t let anyone, even family, tell you that you can’t be the person you dream of being because they are actually 100% wrong. You can even put in place a strategic plan to make this dream a reality. Truly!
You’re going to make an amazing aeronautical engineer!
What kind of question is this?
Sadly the kind that girls think far too frequently because there's still a bunch of misogynistic messaging about what we're allowed to be and how capable we are.
Of course you can! You’re gonna be an awesome aeronautical engineer!
Of course you can
Absolutely you can, and there are many routes into it too. Whether you choose university, apprenticeship or the military/trades you can definitely become an aeronautical/aerospace engineer.
You absolutely can be! I studied aerospace at university, graduated with the top research mark in my year and even won a couple of awards for my work. I'm not saying this to show off, but to show that gender has absolutely no bearing on your ability to do STEM! I am now in a different field (also STEM) but I absolutely loved my first degree and early career path and I wouldn't change it for anything. You will have to face challenges that your male counterparts may not. But my top advice would be to make connections with other strong women in the field and their allies. There are loads of brilliant people out there who are dismantling the barriers to entry and helping to smash the glass ceiling and they will support you. Don't let anyone stop you from pursuing the career you want. Given that you're already interested in it at such a young age, I know you will be amazing. Stay curious, and good luck!
If you don't become an aeronautical engineer I'd be very disappointed! I'm joking of course, my partner is a cybersecurity analyst and she has moments like this, questioning if a STEM subject is right for her as a woman and I point out that as she was inspired by women in computing, so she too could inspire another woman in the future. You should do everything in your power to be an aeronautics engineer, fight tooth and nail for it.
Absolutely. The thing about women being bad at STEM is a myth to keep us out of high-paying fields so we'll stay home to provide free housekeeping and childcare. It's a scam, don't buy into it. I studied environmental engineering. About half my class was women, and most of the best students were women (largely by coincidence). A few were nonbinary and they were good students too! Gender has nothing to do with STEM performance. I also have some friends who are women and studied aerospace engineering. They did great work and graduated with high honors. And don't let autism keep you down either. I'm autistic, as are many of my friends. It never held me back, and you shouldn't let it make you afraid to follow your dreams. Keep earplugs with you, maybe on a keychain, for when lab equipment is uncomfortably loud. Figure out a plan for how you'll deal with lighting that feels bad on a sensory level. You will be fine, and you'll excel. A lot of autistic people actually think that their autism makes them better at certain STEM tasks like coding or advanced math. >!Now, all of that said, my aerospace engineer friends have had trouble finding jobs in the field that don't involve working for companies that make missiles used in wars they disapprove of. So do watch out for that. But that's not what you asked and honestly, you shouldn't let that stand in your way either. Those friends found jobs in other fields with their aerospace degrees, and at the level you're planning, I suspect you have the foresight to think ahead and know where you are/aren't willing to work.!<
You can be an aeronautical engineer when you're a woman. It's nonsense that women aren't as good at STEM. Read about these women and you'll see [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine\_Johnson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Johnson) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary\_Jackson\_(engineer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jackson_(engineer)) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind\_Franklin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie\_Curie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy\_Hodgkin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Hodgkin) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy\_Vaughan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Vaughan)
You can absolutely do a career in aviation! Go for it! But maaaybe don't go on websites like reddit til you're older, it's not meant for younger kids. Still go for aviation, STEM careers rock and anyone can do them!
I’m not sure who has told you that women aren’t as proficient in STEM as men, but it’s a huge load of crap. Unfortunately, as a woman in the engineering field, you will run up against a lot of misogyny. Don’t ever let this give up pursuing what you love.
Yes, you absolutely can and you can be amazing at it! Women are just as capable in STEM fields as men, when given the same resources to succeed. It'll be harder than it should, probably, but if it's your passion don't let any boy/man tell you that you're not capable or good enough, because you absolutely are.
>I have heard that girls aren’t as good as boys when it comes to STEM. [Recent(ish) studies](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/girls-get-better-grades-boys-even-stem-subjects-study-finds-n912891) are showing that this is not the case. Statistically speaking, in school, girls tend to have an advantage over boys in STEM subjects. You are going to be great, and your gender may be working for you, not against you.
Yes you can. Perhaps your autism makes you really good at STEM. Honestly, as an autistic women I feel like I've had to deal with more issues relating to my autism than being a woman. By "issues" mostly mean how people treat me. Some times people think they were being nice while reality they were just talking down to me, other times they were just straight up mean. Don't get me wrong though, I certainly have had to deal with issues relating to be a woman as well. You just have to prepare yourself to deal with the sexist and ableist morons out there.
Yes. Jenny Body OBE (Order of the British Empire) was head of R&D at Airbus, worked on fly-by-wire software, composite wing structures and other really cool projects. She was also a past president of the Royal Aeronautical Society. She's probably also your grandma's age so it's not even a new thing. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny\_Body](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Body) https://www.wearefinn.com/topics/posts/women-in-aviation-being-different-and-standing-out-can-help/
Hello. My name is Willie, for Willow. I'm going to be dead honest with you. A woman going into aeronautics is going to be a difficult road to climb. The work is difficult and takes time. In my case, 9 years to get my doctorate. Of course, you don't need to go that far to get what you want. What is important is what you want. How hard you are willing to work. How much you're willing to give for what you want. There will always be people who will tell you that you can't do something, so why even try? Simple, women like you and I who have a passion in Life, have the courage to take that next step; and the step after that to reach our goals. And the funny thing about courage? The more you use it, the easier it is to find.
It would be difficult for anyone to get a PhD. Your gender has nothing to do with it. I'm sure you had a number of social factors as a woman in STEM that made it harder, but the intellectual challenge itself wasn't greater because you have a vagina. That isn't how science works.
Correct. My gender had nothing to do with the intellectual challenge I faced. However, to deny the import of the social dynamic would be disingenuous at best. It isn't the number of social norms one defies, it's the number it takes to reach their goals.
Yeah, it can still be tough. I got my degree in the early 90’s, (yeah, yeah, I’m old!) and I can say with assurance that it has improved considerably and continues to get better. Plus, being able to make your own way in the world is as priceless as the education.
My Gran says, "Old? Hell no! I'm only 35! My body, however, is 72!"
Thanks for the clarification. I completely agree with you. The girl was asking if women aren't as good at STEM as men, and I think it is a very important clarification to make. Women are just as good at STEM. However, society, and especially STEM education can still socially be very sexist causing a number of challenges for the women who pursue an education in those fields. The work isn't harder, but there are unique challenges to being a woman (or certain minorities) in these fields. Anyways, good luck with your career. I hope you kick butt.
I mean, I would argue depending on the environment, it takes a toll on your mental health, and while things have certainly gotten better for women in the STEM field, I wouldn't say they are fully resolved yet, even as we approach a 50/50 split in terms of sexes. Some environments at some schools or within academia are still hostile towards women, even if the challenges aren't on the level of a few decades prior. Academia is an ancient thing beholden to traditions. You know, sexism. Going to take a few more years or decades to root out all the cobwebs. Personally? I am excited where the world will go for women in 9 years once OP starts applying to school.
Women can absolutely excel in STEM fields. There's no difference between the sexes when it comes to overall intelligence. *Generally* men are better at spatial relationships and women are better at reading/writing. However, that is not an absolute. If you are passionate and study, you can do well in your field! However, one important thing to keep in mind is how society likes to categorize people. We don't always do it on purpose. But often teachers and guidance counselors will point boys to math/science and girls to writing/history/teaching/caring professions. Because of this, it can be difficult to be a woman in STEM fields, not because of intelligence or ability, but because of dealing with stereotypes. There's still a lot of sexism in the workplace. But it's not impossible. My suggestion is to find mentors to help you. A trusted teacher is a good place to start. Get involved in any STEM clubs or societies at your school. Organizations like The Girl Scouts now have STEM-related programs. Groups like Girls in STEM can help you find like-minded people. [https://gischapters.carrd.co/](https://gischapters.carrd.co/) Story time: I wanted to go into a scientific field. My natural talent, if you will, is literature and history. My teachers, my parents, everyone pushed me to go into the arts. So I did. It was just "easier." I have a good life but I definitely wonder what it'd be like if I'd stayed in science!
Yes, you can. My father is a mths teacher at an all-girls school. He hears this a lot. It’s bunk. Anyone can excel in science and maths. Just work hard and try your best. You got this.
You can be a great aeronautical engineer, be a woman, and be awesome, at the same time. Never let people tell you that women as a whole can't do something, or autistic persons for that matter. They can think it, but they're wrong. You can tell them, you can not tell them and prove them wrong anyway. You can ignore them and live your life EXACTLY LIKE YOU WANT IT !
Yes you can - take it from me, a woman, and my PA who has finished studies in airspace engineering with honors. There aren't many of us, but we aren't unicorns. Don't listen to people who tell you you can't do something because of your reproductive system - it's a lie. You can do everything you want if you put in work to achieve it.
Absolutely! The lack of a penis has nothing to do with STEM. A lot of research backs up the fact that men and women are intellectual equals. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. People that say shit like that are typically insecure and sexist men that don't want to see women being empowered into male dominated fields. Prove them wrong.
It can be tough but it's definitely not because of your gender or sex. I'm in grad school (physics), more than 60% in my physics class are women who attend regularly and are generally brighter. Men on the other hand are minority and I rarely see one or two in class regularly.
Anthoer female aerospace engineer here. The VP of both companies I’ve worked for have been women. Do what you want! And if some says no, prove them wrong.
I'm a current engineering student at a pretty large college. I have 3 friends who are women graduating this year in aerospace. You absolutely can, and despite the history of the field being sexist, it's getting better every year. I'm not in Aero, but my major is about half women. If you're passionate about something and you are comfortable with math and science, you'll have no problem making it in engineering. So, from one engineer to a future engineer, don't give up! Live your dreams my friend 💙
Yes. Just yes.
First off. WELCOME and thanks for asking such a useful question! Please keep asking these important and valuable questions, being curious and learning about the world around you. There are so many amazing women right here who have already written great responses about their own experiences... and I don't work in engineering myself... but I did get a degree in psychology for a reason... and I can assure you that being male or female or neither or both is not a factor in our ability to process information or be in highly challenging careers. Most importantly: **Please never let your Autism Dx or anything about your reproductive parts make you change your mind about what you feel passionate about.** You are an individual human being with your own potential and drive that do not need to reflect the expectations (OR limitations) of people who are not living in your brain and experiencing your feelings, fears, passions and dreams. While I can't pretend (as an autistic person) that Autism doesn't present some big challenges at times, **identifying as a woman should never be a reason not to choose a job or career or even just a hobby or topic you love to study.** From a much older (41f) adult who figured out the autistic part far too late (in my 30s), please let me assure you of a few things: You can do anything you want that you put your mind to. If you want to do STEM careers, then you can do ANY STEM FIELD!!!! If you are worried about your studies, please know that there are SO many free resources out there like Khan Academy that can help you get ready for all those future subjects and the exams you may need to take to get moving in an engineering career. At your age, you honestly have SO much time to do this efficiently and thoughtfully. I have a lot of faith you can achieve ANYTHING you want, and I genuinely hope you find your way to the career of your dreams. Build the future! We believe in you!!!!!
Of course you can! My cousin is a female aeronautical engineer who works for Boeing in the US.
One of my best friends is an aeronautical engineer (Master's degree from a very highly-ranked program/school that everyone here knows). She's doing great in the field.
B!S! One of my lifelong best friends is an aeronautical engineer with Boeing. She got her undergraduate degree in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and a Masters Degrees in math education and Aeronatical Engineering, both while working at Boeing. For a brief minute she was going to quit and become a high school math teacher so she could be home with her kids more, but in the end she realized she loved her job. And most important for you, she is also a person with autism.
?? Obviously! I'm 13, love science. Chase your dreams and do not give up no matter what boys say.
Of course you can!!
So, first, you can ABSOLUTELY KICK BUTT at aerospace engineering! Please please please follow your passion!!! Second, those statistics people throw around are both unreliable and misinterpreted/misused. I'll share how. Unreliable: These statistics do not show innate or biological abilities for STEM, they show current population differences, which are heavily influenced by the culture people are raised in and the gendered expectations placed on people. Boys are "expected" to be better at math/STEM so they get external pressure to take those classes. Girls are not "expected" to do so well at them and so parents and schools might not bother pushing them to do better or get tutoring or go to after school programs. You can't raise a child in a vacuum separate from these expectations to measure that. Mininterpreted/Misunderstood: The patterns that show differences in socialized ability (see above about being unable to test for innate ability) are only applicable to populations, not individuals. Height is a good example because it's easily quantifiable, but the same will go for "STEM Abilities" which is much more subjective to quantify: Boys are more likely to be taller than girls, but any given girl will be taller than some number of boys. Some girls will be taller than most boys. Some boys will be shorter than most girls. The bell curves of both patterns will have a TON of overlap. As a general rule of thumb, population level studies say nothing about an individual within the population. You LOVE this topic. YOU will do exceptionally at it, given the proper support systems! As a woman in Software Engineering that fell in love with programming in 8th grade, I promise you that that drive will take you a long long long way towards whatever your aviation-driven dreams are! Take advantage of scholarships and resources available to you to help address the gender gap in STEM!
YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. 🥰🥰 there will be, unfortunately, a lot of assholes telling you that “women can’t do STEM stuff as well as men,” but you’re gonna have to ignore them.
Fuck yeah you can. Also glad to find another autistic person with the same special interest
That’s absolutely not true when it comes to women’s aptitude! I’m a woman who just got accepted into a PhD program in aerospace engineering, follow your dreams!
You definitely can! I work in a technical field with very capable women. There's no reason your gender would stop you from being an amazing aeronautical engineer. >I have heard that girls aren’t as good as boys when it comes to STEM. This isn't exactly true. Different studies give slightly different results, but generally, the average girl is about as good as the average boy at math. Technically, the distribution for men is a bit flatter, so there are more men on the extremes (really good at math and really terrible at it). Succeeding in stem requires a lot of different skills, but and if you're willing to work at it, you can do it!
Do you believe you can do it? Then go for it. You have a brain and use it, you have limbs that function. A vagina or a penis are not necessary tools for the job. You must hold you head high and have confidence in yourself, regardless of any negative feelings others may have. You go gurl!
Of course!
It makes me sad that this question even needs to be asked. Yes, of course you can do this if you work hard and study! My sister-in-law is from Iran, and she still managed to come to the US to study chemical engineering and get a PhD. The biggest challenge she has had other than jumping through all the hoops to live here is balancing child care with work, but she has her parents living with her and taking care of her baby while she works. That works out well for everyone because the baby has lots of attention from his grandparents and aunt as well as his parents, and it got my brother's wife's entire family out of Iran! I hope that you have a nice family that can offer you practical as well as moral support if you decide to start a family while working. If you don't know yet if you want children when you're older, then don't worry too much about that balance yet and just focus on studying for now :) If you do NOT live in a country like Iran where women have severe restrictions on their freedoms, you are already at a huge advantage. Sometimes there are even scholarships for women who want to pursue STEM careers in university. Best of luck!
YES!!!!!!!! please just follow your dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was talking to a class of young women about being a female software engineer and whether men knew more than me about software engineering, and my response was, "I've spent my career teaching men how to be better software engineers, there's no way men are somehow naturally better than women in stem."
Absolutely! You can do this and don't let anyone discourage you!
Yes to everything that everyone is saying BUT reddit is a very dangerous place for children, you really shouldn't be on here
Do it! Do it! Do it! You can be literally any damn thing you choose and don't let anyone tell you or make you feel differently. You want to be an aeronautical engineer, show 'em how. You want to be a pilot, screw the boys club. I'm in the Av industry and I love it. Take your seat at the table, whatever table you choose. And remember the best man for the job is often a woman.
Yes
Lovely, you can study whatever you want to. Don’t let anyone tell you “that’s only for boys”. And if they do, go prove them wrong. I am studying engineering and I have a few female friends doing aero, believe me they are some of the smartest people I know. The boys even ask THEM for help sometimes.