*There are some countries, like the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which 100% of all R&D expenditures are publicly-funded.
*A part of the problem may stem from a misunderstanding of the issue among employees and employers in the innovation sector. Perceptions of gender inequality in the workplace show that although companies may say that gender diversity is important to their senior management, most employees do not feel as if it is a priority at their workplace. Gender diversity is reported to be important by 74 percent of companies, but only between one third and one half of employees report that they believe that their CEOs and managers actually prioritize gender diversity [X]. Additionally, there seems to be a disconnect in how men specifically approach this issue: according to studies by Lean In and McKinsey & Company, 70 percent of men say that they think gender diversity is important, but only 12 percent believe women have fewer opportunities. Along with this, men are less likely than women to believe that their organization must do more when it comes to closing gender gaps, and 13 percent of men believe that gender-diversity programs make it harder for them to advance due to the prioritization of women employees. In sectors like innovation, where the employee base is heavily male, this perception among men can have an effect on the motivation and opportunities for women to enter and stay involved within the fields of innovation.
*Representation and empowerment are two huge factors in whether or not women will feel encouraged to become more present within innovation sectors, but historically, there has been underrepresentation of women in most high-paying fields. Two questions now face us: why aren’t more women getting involved in innovation, and why aren’t innovation employers placing more emphasis on gender diversity?
[[Tay Jacobe (Work Log)]] [[Taylor Jacobe]]
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