The World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project to improve secondary education opportunities among girls in participating states in Nigeria, will provide digital literacy trainings and financial incentives such as scholarships to further support girls’ retention and completion of secondary school. Early support and nourishment for a girl’s (in equal measure to that of a boy’s) natural interest in science should be provided at home and at schools. Between 8 percent and 20 percent of mathematics teachers in Latin America reported that they believed mathematics is easier for boys and research shows that parents in some regions of the world show a greater preference for sons to work in STEM.
Second, parents and teachers need to be allies. Research suggests also that strengthening STEM curricula and linking it to real world situations (using interactive experiences, project-based learning, and other strategies) tends to appeal more to girls rather than using more traditional methods.
As people’s aspirations are framed from an early age, it is important to have a variety in representation and in role models. Such materials often portray male examples of professionals such as engineers and scientists while women are more likely to be depicted as teachers, nurses, etc.
Open the pathway: Dismantle biases that prevent girls from dreaming of a career in scienceįirst, remove gender biases in learning materials. How can systems attract and retain more women in STEM? These challenges show how important is to both attract and retain women in STEM fields and that a change in school, university, household, and workplace ecosystems is crucial. A 2020 online survey among 170 academics in the US found that women spent 43 hours per week on childcare, reported having to work outside business hours, and were more likely to take paid or unpaid leave to provide childcare. There have also been negative impacts on female researchers, especially those who have had to care for children. In the United States, the employment rate of mothers dropped by 7 percent and their labor-force participation rate fell by 4 percent. Studies have also found women more likely to lose their jobs during the pandemic. While early evidence is mixed and emerging, studies have found cases of learning losses higher for girls than for boys ( South Africa and Mexico) and lower rates of return to schooling for adolescent girls ( Kenya). On the other, the pandemic has had negative impacts on girls’ and women’s schooling and employment outcomes across the globe. On one hand women scientists and professionals such as Professor Sarah Gilbert, leading the development of the Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccine against COVID-19, and many others have been stories of success. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored how important women’s contributions to science are but has also highlighted gender disparities. With the rapidly growing global digital economy, it is imperative that deliberate policies are put in place to ensure opportunities for both girls and boys to acquire STEM-related competencies. This seems counterintuitive as girls do as well or better than boys on science and math in standardized tests such as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) or TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), which is why it is relevant to identify and address the main factors that deter girls and women from pursuing careers in science. In fact, women still account for only 28 percent of engineering graduates and 40 percent of graduates in computer science, and in fields such as artificial intelligence only 1 in 5 professionals is female. However, women are significantly less likely to enroll in many of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, with the exception of life sciences. Girls and boys should be supported to develop their talents to the fullest and without the constraints often imposed by gender stereotypes. How can systems attract and retain more women in STEM? Photo: ShutterstockĬhoosing one’s path in life should not be limited by prejudice or hindered by a less than supportive environment to thrive.
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