Beyond Vocation: Understanding Sociocultural and Opinion-Based Determinants of STEMM Career Choice in Peruvian Women

Salomé Ochoa, Carlos Lazo, Giselle Araujo-Ramos, Linda Nuñez, Raúl Montalvo (), León Rivera, Hilda Jara, Dahpne Viena-Oliveira, Katia Ninozca Flores-Ledesma and Richard Peñaloza
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Salomé Ochoa: Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru
Carlos Lazo: Facultad de Economía, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru
Giselle Araujo-Ramos: Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru
Linda Nuñez: Facultad de Trabajo Social, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru
Raúl Montalvo: Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru
León Rivera: Facultad de Economía, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru
Hilda Jara: Facultad de Educación y Ciencias de la Comunicación, Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Trujillo 13011, Peru
Dahpne Viena-Oliveira: Facultad de Educación y Humanidades, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Tarapoto 22202, Peru
Katia Ninozca Flores-Ledesma: Doctorado en Administración, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena 1300, Colombia
Richard Peñaloza: Facultad de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú, Huancayo 12000, Peru

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: This study examines the underrepresentation of women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) within Peruvian public universities and identifies factors associated with women’s program choice. A cross-sectional survey was administered to first-term students across three public institutions spanning Peru’s Highlands, Coast, and Amazon regions. Data from 1142 students (145 women) were used for descriptive analysis of segregation, while an inferential sample (N = 152; 76 STEMM, 76 non-STEMM) was used for modeling. The instrument was an adapted “University Students’ Questionnaire on STEM Studies in Higher Education (QSTEMHE)” (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). Descriptive statistics and a penalized (Firth) binary logistic regression were used to evaluate sociodemographic, contextual/experiential, and motivational predictors of enrolling in a STEMM major. The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and perception data are subject to self-report biases. Women accounted for 12.7% of STEMM enrolment overall, with pronounced horizontal segregation: engineering programs frequently recorded critically low female participation (≈3–5% in Civil, Mechanical, and Computer Engineering), whereas Medicine and Sanitary Engineering showed comparatively higher representation (27–38%). Perception data indicated that STEMM students more strongly rejected gender–ability stereotypes than non-STEMM peers, although a substantial proportion still reported constraining gender expectations and rigid household roles. In the penalized regression, Prior Interest in STEM (OR = 7.76; p = 0.018) and Motivation: Opportunities (OR = 2.24; p = 0.0001) significantly increased the probability of choosing STEMM. Crucially, Ethnicity emerged as a significant barrier: identifying as ‘Quechua’ (OR = 0.19; p = 0.0004) or ‘Other(s)’ (OR = 0.16; p = 0.011) significantly decreased this likelihood. Age, area of residence, and Motivation: Altruism was not significant. Findings support early, gender-responsive career guidance, mentoring, addressing intersectional ethnic barriers, and targeted financial aid to strengthen women’s participation and retention in STEMM.

Keywords: STEMM; inclusion; careers; stereotypes; diversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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