Women and Girls in STEM
Have you read an informative story published by UN Women on the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science? It presents the current disappointing statistics of women’s representation in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field.
The excerpt of the story as well as a link for the full story, are provided below. If this piques your interest, feel free to read further, add comments and your own ideas, or engage in the discussion through the link provided.
To access the full story, click here; the summary is as follows:
The United Nations, partners worldwide, women and girls will mark 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It’s an opportunity to take a stand for women and girls in science and to break the stereotypes that hold them back.
Bridging the gender gap in science is vital for achieving sustainable development and fulfilling the promise of the 2030 Agenda to “leave no one behind”. Although science-related fields are critical to national economies, most countries have not achieved gender equality in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
According to UNESCO data (2014 - 2016), only around 30 percent of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Globally, female students’ enrolment is particularly low in ICT (3 percent), natural science, mathematics and statistics (5 percent) and in engineering, manufacturing, and construction (8 percent).
Fulfilling the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals requires innovative solutions powered by science and technology for a range of issues, from climate change, health, and infrastructure to economic development.
Why support women and girls in science and technology?
- Because we need to unlock the potential of half the population
- Because women currently make up less than 30 percent of researchers worldwide
- Because access to tech benefits women’s political participation
- Because access to tech benefits women’s health
- Because 90 percent of future formal sector jobs will require ICT skills