Motherhood penalty and the gender gap in STEM and medicine

The representation of women in leadership positions within the STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) sector remains disappointingly low, even in disciplines where women outnumber men in graduate school.Although discussions about the causes of this so-called STEMM leaky pipeline have long focused on gender biases and stereotypes, in recent years, the motherhood penalty has increasingly being recognized as a major contributing factor.Mothers in Science is a global non-profit organization that advocates for mothers in STEMM and creates evidence-based solutions to promote equity and inclusion of caregivers.Since its launch in 2019, this rapidly growing organization has conducted ground-breaking research and created multiple resources to empower mothers in STEMM across the world and transform the global STEMM landscape into an inclusive system that values diversity and supports work-life balance.