The Gender Gap in Engineering Programs in Colombia

Abstract

In Colombia, engineering is an unattractive field for women. As of 2018, 63,7% of undergraduate engineering graduates were men, and only 36,3% were women. This gap has not changed significantly between 2001 and 2018. This paper analyzes the gap between women and men who obtain undergraduate or graduate engineering degrees in Colombia. The analysis is based on data from the Labor Observatory for Education (OLE) and the National Information System for Higher Education (SNIES) between 2001 to 2018, and it is presented according to degree levels (undergraduate, master and Ph.D.), regions, specific fields of engineering, and salary. The data show a clear difference between the number of women and men graduating from engineering programs at all levels. This gap disappears in programs related to environmental, biomedical, and chemical engineering, where more than 50% of the graduates are women; but, in programs such as electrical, electronic, and mechanical engineering, the gap is more critical, with less than 20% of women’s representation. To propose public policies or national programs to improve this situation, this paper also presents a review of international initiatives that have succeeded in improving the representation of women in engineering programs.