Working Environment for Women Leadership in STEM

What are the qualities and work environment necessary for women leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)? The objective of the study was to identify the type of work environment needed for women leadership in STEM industry. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology, we identified 20 journal articles from the Scopus and Web of Science database and selected 12 studies. The results showed that pull factors are motivation, social and personal development. The push factors are gender stereotype, work life-balance, lack of authority, workload, discrimination, social impact and vigilance influence the women participation. However, gender stereotype, bias and discrimination, race discrimination, work-life balance and lack of authority become the barriers for women to lead the industry. Future studies should focus on qualitative approach, Asian context and the underrepresentation of women in STEM leadership.