Diversity in STEM has been a decades-long challenge for the United States workforce. As underrepresented communities gain access to more opportunities, however, diversity within STEM careers has grown - especially within the past decade.
Currently, women make up 35 percent of the STEM workforce. While there is still a lot of work to do to achieve true gender equality in the sector, the gap has shrunk significantly. For example, only 8 percent of STEM workers in 1970 were women, showing a big jump over the course of 50 years.