Math is Hard - Barbie Doll

This is what a talking Barbie had on her limited taped phrases in 1994.

A new study, Math around the world found a high correlation with gender based mathematical aptitude to cultural sex discrimination.

Hyde and Janet Mertz, a UW-Madison professor of oncology, analyzed studies from around the world on math performance along with gender inequality as measured by the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index.

This index measures the gap between men and women in economic opportunity, educational attainment and other socioeconomic factors.

Barbie Speaks and demands girls conform to some sexual based bias that to be a girl means math is hard.

There's a gender stereotype that boys are better at math than girls are, and stereotypes die very hard," Hyde told LiveScience. "Teachers and parents still believe that boys are better at math than girls are."

The researchers provide several possible cultural factors keeping females from excelling in math, including classroom dynamics in which teachers pay more attention to boys, while even mathematically gifted girls are not nurtured. In addition, stereotypes may drive guidance counselors and others to discourage girls from taking engineering courses.

Anyone else finding the continual claims of universities and corporations to have more women Scientists and Engineers brazenly ignoring the real problems of discrimination and gender bias?