Empowering Girls in STEM Education: Why Context Matter

Empowering Girls in STEM Education is crucial for achieving gender equality in the workforce.

Boys and men have traditionally dominated STEM fields, which include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

However, with the right approach and support, we can change this. We can ensure that girls have the opportunity to excel in these fields and reach their full potential.

STEM education has the potential to empower girls in many ways. Some examples include:

• Strengthening their agency in terms of voice, participation and decision-making over their own health, future financial and career choices, and social interactions
• Enabling them to critically understand social and environmental issues in the world around them and actively participate in debates to solve such problems, and propose relevant solutions
• Empowering them to be innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers
• Motivating them to learn and achieve at the highest levels, helping to close gender gaps in learning outcomes for STEM subjects and digital literacy
• Facilitating their transitions to employment and livelihoods in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in traditional STEM careers and jobs requiring STEM knowledge and skills developed in secondary education and technical training.

Getting more girls in STEM education

As we continue to push for gender equality in the workforce, it is important to remember that the journey to achieving this goal starts with education.

In particular, we need to focus on getting more girls involved in STEM fields.

However, simply encouraging girls to pursue STEM education and STEM careers is not enough.

It is also crucial to understand the importance of context in this endeavour.

One of the biggest barriers to girls entering STEM fields is the lack of representation and role models.

When girls do not see people who look like them in STEM careers, it becomes harder for them to envision themselves in those roles.

This is where educational institutions and company culture come into play.

Schools and companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion, and actively work to create a welcoming environment for women and other underrepresented groups, are more likely to attract and retain female talent.

It is also important to consider the context in which STEM education is being provided.

Research has shown that girls are more likely to pursue STEM careers when they are exposed to hands-on, project-based learning.

This type of learning allows girls to see the real-world applications of STEM concepts, and how they can make a positive impact on society.

In addition, providing girls with opportunities to network and collaborate with other like-minded individuals can help to foster a sense of community and belonging.

This can be achieved through mentorship programs, hackathons, and other initiatives that bring girls together to work on projects and share ideas.

Change context to attract more girls into STEM

Some recently implemented initiatives that focused on creating girls-only teams seem to be the most functional models.

Girls like more than boys to work with highly contextualized projects. A simple mention of helping humans or animals boosts their interest to be more involved.

Add to this a possibility of working with everyday materials such as cardboard, fabric, glue, etc. as opposed to high-tech stuff.

Guess what happens?

First, the number of participating girls in STEM increases significantly. Second, the girls' attitude towards technology matched the boys' attitude.

By focusing on organisational culture and context, we can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for girls in STEM.

Like this, for example:

These examples teach us an important lesson.

Getting more girls involved in STEM education is not just about encouraging them to pursue these careers.

It is also about creating the right environment for them to succeed.