  This study discusses factors that keep women from entering science and
technology, which include social stereotypes that they struggle against, lack
of maternity leave and other basic human rights, and the climate that makes
them leave research positions for administrative ones. We then describe
intervention processes that have been successful in bringing the ratio of women
close to parity, compare different minorities in the US, and also consider data
from India, Western and Eastern Europe. We find that programs that connect the
different levels of education are needed in addition to hiring more women,
providing them with basic human rights from when they begin their PhD onwards
and promoting support networks for existing employees. The authors of this
paper hail from Sri Lanka, Romania, India, and the United States. We hold
undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics or chemistry from the United
States, India and Switzerland. Our conclusions are based on data that is
publicly available, on data we have gathered, and on anecdotal evidence from
our own experience.
