> How does this apply to other countries where women are higher in STEM and tech than men? For example, in Iran more than 60% of STEM students are female. That

> How does this apply to other countries where women are higher in STEM and tech than men? For example, in Iran more than 60% of STEM students are female. That's because in iran, the government sets the "standards for women's and men's study". Women are FORCED to take these classes. Also, iranian women outnumber men in STEM within iran because iranian families with money send their male children overseas to study. The numbers are even more skewed for UAE, Kuwait, etc. There, the women are like 80% of the local university populations because the wealthy arabs send their sons to study abroad in US, UK, Canada, Australia, etc. There are political scientists/psychologists who say that the lack is choice is why women in iran and middle east are so well represented in STEM. In the west, females have lots of choices and they have a say in what they study. The government/fathers can't tell women you have to study this or that. That's not the case in iran. If iran ever opened up and liberalized, the thinking is that a large portion of the women will choose non-STEM fields, just like they do in the West. In short, why do they study stem? They study STEM subjects for the same reason they wear burqas. They have no choice.