It’s no secret that since the 1980s, there has been a significant push in STEM fields and more recently, women in STEM. Women in the U.S. account for 50 percent of the workforce and yet hold less than 25 percent of STEM-related jobs.

Several initiatives have been created to increase the number of women in STEM fields – government incentives, privately-funded programs by STEM companies, college programs, etc. But earlier this year, President Trump proposed budget cuts for science and health agencies, which becomes even worse for female researchers because they typically receive less funding than their male counterparts. 

So what does this have to do with women in the arts? Along with the proposed cuts for STEM researchers, Trump also proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts, a move that will also have a disproportionate effect on women who typically make less anyway – nearly $20,000 less than male art graduates.

Despite proposed cuts, STEM fields have bigger budgets and frankly, more earning potential than art communities. Between 2007 and 2013, only 27 percent of major art exhibitions in the U.S. featured female artists. There are several bills and initiatives to encourage women to pursue STEM careers, but no arts equivalents.

To read the full article by The Atlantic, click here.