Reasons to invest

2009 progress to goal

To remain vibrant, viable and on technology’s leading-edge, semiconductor companies like Texas Instruments must hire and retain top quality engineers from diverse backgrounds. Since innovative solutions are more likely to come from a diverse set of people, both men and women engineers are needed to provide the broadest range of thought and perspective.

Societal norms often discourage women and girls from participating in math and science, even though there is no scientific evidence indicating a gender difference in intelligence, creativity or aptitude.

Research has revealed:

• Only one in five engineering students is a woman.
• The number of engineering degrees awarded to women has remained stagnant for the last eight years.
• Less than 14% of U.S. students have the math and science prerequisites needed to participate in the new global high-tech economy.

The Women of TI Fund is working to change these statistics by giving high school girls the tools and support they need to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) professions. By supporting educational opportunities for girls, the Women of TI Fund is also helping boys since studies show boys’ Advanced Placement (AP) scores increase when girls participate in the same program.

Encouraging girls to pursue engineering fields helps balance the gender pay gap. The more women in the engineering field, the louder their collective voice becomes. Women in STEM reflects TI’s diverse customer base. Diverse teams provide diverse perspectives and encourage ‘out of the box’ thinking and innovation.