A Comparative Study of Women`s Participation in the STEM field in Post-Soviet Caucasian Region: Case Study of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan

In the last decades of the 20th century developed countries came to the realization that the high competition for technological leadership could not be successful without the participation of half of humanity. In different countries, there are various programs involving women in STEM education and STEM employment and their support. However, the problem of the shortage of women in STEM education and especially in STEM employment remains. In this master thesis, we will focus on the issue of discrimination against women in the countries of the South Caucasus region (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia) in the STEM field. With the help of a statistical analysis, as well as a study of the history of the development of women's rights in the region, we found that the low representation of women in the South Caucasus in the STEM field is greatly influenced by established traditions, customs and existing stereotypes about the role of women in society. To date, researchers have addressed this problem mainly through the example of involvement in the STEM field of women living and studying in the United States and European countries.