How can women thrive in the STEM ecosystem?
Half of the world's population is made up of women and girls, who also hold half of the world's potential. It is crucial to encourage girls and women to pursue STEM-related education and employment.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was marked on February 11 and is promoted by UNESCO and UN-Women in partnership with organisations and partners from civil society. Gender equality is a top priority for UNESCO, along with support for young women's education and their capacity to speak up for development and peace.
Gender disparities in education
Advancing the Participation of Women and Girls in STEM, a World Bank report that offers a detailed overview of global trends of gender disparities in STEM education. In reality, just 33% of researchers, 22% of artificial intelligence experts, and 28% of engineering students worldwide are women. This is true despite several appeals from around the world for more women to work in STEM fields.
The underrepresentation of women in STEM fields begins in the classroom and is a result of ingrained social prejudices, social norms, and expectations that have an impact on both the quality of education they get and the subjects they choose to pursue.
Positive parenting can encourage females to pursue career in STEM
Positive parenting will assist in transforming preconceived notions about STEM fields and encourage young females to pursue careers in these fields. Only 35% of STEM students in higher education worldwide are women, according to a UNESCO survey.
The situation isn't quite as dire in India, though. Even though India has one of the greatest percentages of female STEM graduates worldwide (43%), just 14% go on to become technologists, engineers, or scientists. According to sources, India is second among the top 20 nations in the world for the proportion of women working in technology.
Although women account for roughly 47% of the workforce overall, they are statistically underrepresented in STEM fields, with less than 30% of researchers in the world being female. Half of the world's population is made up of women and girls, who also hold half of the world's potential. It is crucial to encourage girls and women to pursue STEM-related education and employment.
Appreciating the power of women
To multitask, be more adaptable, be more robust, and be more innovative—all of which are necessary for the advancement of science and technology—women have a unique perspective and peculiar skill set. It will take a team effort from educators, business leaders, society, government, and individuals to close the gender gap and enhance the future of women in STEM.
By recognising female role models, encouraging early mentoring, reskilling, and engaging STEM education, we can create a pipeline of strong women. Strong STEM education produces next-generation innovators, problem-solvers, and critical thinkers.
The involvement of women in STEM careers is less. We need more scientists and inventors, and the best way to accomplish this is through proper STEM education. In India, where women make up 48% of the population, we definitely need more women engineers, technicians, scientists, and researchers, and it is up to all of us to show girls and young women that their talents, creativity, and abilities are of immense value and potential.
STEM is more than just a group of disciplines; it is also a way of life, a method of instruction, and a method of education. The emphasis should be on project-based learning and real-world problem-solving techniques by providing an immersive learning environment that supports important 21st century skills.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)
Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan