Mediation analysis suggested that life-quality pressures in less gender-equal countries promote girls’ and women’s engagement with STEM subjects.

That is one of the findings of this study and probably will not please some.

The Gender-Equality Paradox in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education

That is a new paper by Gjisbert Stoet and David C. Geary.

The underrepresentation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is a continual concern for social scientists and policymakers. Using an international database on adolescent achievement in science, mathematics, and reading (N = 472,242), we showed that girls performed similarly to or better than boys in science in two of every three countries, and in nearly all countries, more girls appeared capable of college-level STEM study than had enrolled. Paradoxically, the sex differences in the magnitude of relative academic strengths and pursuit of STEM degrees rose with increases in national gender equality. The gap between boys’ science achievement and girls’ reading achievement relative to their mean academic performance was near universal. These sex differences in academic strengths and attitudes toward science correlated with the STEM graduation gap. A mediation analysis suggested that life-quality pressures in less gender-equal countries promote girls’ and women’s engagement with STEM subjects.

H/T MR

I would tend to agree with the comment from Chip:

If social scientists and policy makers are concerned about female underrepresentation in STEM, it follows that they should be equally concerned with female over representation in teaching and nursing. Because both are a product of choices made by females – and males – rather than any serious obstacles.

So it follows that policy makers have a problem with choices. And it will never end, because male/female preferences permeate society from the types of books, shows and movies we watch, to the sports we like, how we vote, and who we relate to.

The war for equality of outcomes is a war against statistics and biology.

But then again, Ray Hsu cautions:

In typical MR fashion, may I suggest that there is also a Straussian reading of that sentence?

You can never go wrong with Leo Strauss.