How to Encourage More Girls to Get into STEM
Credit: Pexels
Although STEM courses and careers are some of the most in-demand today, only a small percentage of women pursue them professionally. As a matter of fact, only 27% of the entire nation’s STEM workforce is female. While this already represents an almost 150% increase of women in STEM since 1970, it still means that there is an imbalance in gender participation. This is why many industry leaders and analysts are working to encourage more girls to join STEM.
Why Does STEM Need Girls?
Globally, women make up over half of the population, yet the disparity in their STEM participation is significant, as mentioned earlier. This means that critical industries with STEM backgrounds (like healthcare, engineering, and IT) are at a talent disadvantage. This poses a real threat to innovation since STEM-powered industries continue to be in high demand. Case in point, with the aggressive 300% rise in cybercrime, industry specialists are hurrying to find cybersecurity professionals to fill the almost 500,000 openings. In order to fill these positions top universities are reaching out to a wider student pool by offering online cybersecurity programs. These courses are just as valid as traditional degrees and teach students the latest trends in security event management, cloud security, and digital forensics. These online programs also open up the field to more women who want to enter cybersecurity later in life, as they are able to study in their own time on flexible schedules.
Similarly, more girls in STEM will also bring about a more widespread impact which is needed for lasting change. After all, studies have found that a woman’s education and career can make more than three times the societal impact than her male peers. This is why analysts have determined that women in current engineering programs are essential in developing well-rounded solutions. This includes creating accurate sustainability efforts in vulnerable communities and more inclusive safety solutions in areas like transportation where historically only male biology has been considered. Presently, though, women only make up a fifth of all engineers in industrialized countries, and 10% of all engineers in developing ones.
How to Get Girls Into STEM Programs
Getting girls into STEM is a complicated task that requires layers of initiative. For starters, many girls don’t pursue STEM due to a lack of female representation in the field. This image perpetuates the outdated belief that women have no place in these industries. Consequently, it may encourage girls to know the influence of other women in the field. This is why international organizations have been working to create platforms to recognize these women. For example, the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) started the Committee on Women in Engineering. This committee seeks to both celebrate and publicize the contributions of women in the hopes of inspiring more girls.
Aside from this, it also helps to let girls know how they can enter a STEM field early on. Because of societal expectations, many girls are not given the same resources that can lead them towards STEM careers. Instead, many are funneled through to more stereotypically “feminine” degrees and jobs. To end this, girls must be made aware of the worldwide STEM opportunities that they can optimize. These include the UNESCO STEM and Gender Advancement Project (SAGA) which seeks to improve national higher education policies.
More locally, in the US, there is also the pending The Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2021. If more girls were to know of this legislation, then they may feel more compelled to join the online STEM workshops, internships, and recruitment programs it will fund. This can also help women stay in STEM (aside from just sparking an interest in them) since reports reveal that even in countries where women make up most of the undergraduates, few choose to pursue it professionally. Additionally, since there now exists tools for teachers to focus more on student output, it is helpful for girls to be taught with their emotions in consideration since these can also factor into their academic development. This must not be confused with coddling, but rather an effective means to encourage students to learn and try out different courses that they wouldn’t feel comfortable with otherwise.
What a Girl-Powered STEM Future Looks Like
The benefits of more girls in STEM are important because they will impact humankind as a whole. In the few places that have seen more equal gender participation in STEM, more valuable contributions have been formed. To illustrate, a more gender-equal STEM workforce is credited for coming up with motorized conventional wheelchairs and heat-resistant firefighting drones. Alternatively, if girls are left out of STEM, the only legacy it cements is one of misogyny and missed opportunities.
Written by Elosie Mateo for i2e-llc.com
