Zimpapers Logo

Andile Tshuma, Gender

The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the structural barriers that women face in advancing in STEM fields; many are experiencing disruptions in research and publication as they take on additional teaching and caregiving duties for students and family members relative to their male counterparts.

The under-representation of women and girls in STEM presents a serious barrier to their empowerment and the contributions they can make to strengthening tertiary education and science and innovation systems in ways that are necessary to drive economic and societal transformation.

Despite significant strides in recent decades, education is still not universally available and gender inequalities continue to persist. The major concern in many countries is not only limited numbers of girls going to school, but also limited educational pathways for those that step into the classroom.

This includes, more specifically, how to address the lower participation and learning achievement of girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

In Zimbabwe, more girls are going to school today than before. Government and various organisations have made it a priority to increase girls’ access to education.

Previously, many girls did not have the opportunity to pursue education.

Globally, while just under 40 percent of women contribute to the global workforce, they make up roughly 60 percent of all professional workers.

Nevertheless, these numbers fall disturbingly as women enter tertiary education and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

STEM underpins the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and STEM education can provide learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours required for inclusive and sustainable societies. Leaving out girls and women in STEM education and careers is a loss for all.

Education systems and schools play a central role in determining girls’ interest in STEM subjects and in providing equal opportunities to access and benefit from quality STEM education.

Research on biological factors, including brain structure and development, genetics, neuroscience and hormones, shows that the gender gap in STEM is not the result of sex differences in these factors or in innate ability.
Rather, findings suggest that learning is underpinned by neuro-plasticity, the capacity of the brain to expand and form new connections, and that education performance, including in STEM subjects, is influenced by experience and can be improved through targeted interventions.

Studies show that over the next decade, workers will be required to have more complex skills sets requiring problem-solving abilities, strong non-cognitive skills such as social, communication and interpretative skills and at least a basic knowledge of information communication technologies (ICT).

More girls are in school today than ever before, but they do not always have the same opportunities as boys to complete and benefit from an education of their choice.

Too many girls and women are held back by biases, social norms and expectations influencing the quality of the education they receive and the subjects they study. They are particularly under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, and consequently in STEM careers.

According to the UNESCO groundbreaking report, ‘Cracking the code: Girls’ and women’s education in STEM’, only 35 percent of STEM students in higher education globally are women, and differences are observed within STEM disciplines. For example, only 3 percent of female students in higher education choose information and communication technologies (ICT) studies. This gender disparity is alarming, especially as STEM careers are often referred to as the jobs of the future, driving innovation, social wellbeing, inclusive growth and sustainable development.

In the last decade, pioneering work by a number of scholars and organisations around the world has increased awareness of the importance of a more inclusive approach to science, in particular one that integrates women as scientists and users of science, and that recognises gender analysis as integral to high-quality research and innovation.

Several initiatives have been launched in response, and some advances have been made. Nonetheless we continue to observe twin deficits in women’s representation as leaders in science, notably in natural sciences, engineering and maths as well as in the integration of gender analysis.

In these fields. This requires a redoubling of efforts to deepen understanding about the twin gender deficits in STEM and propose evidence-based strategies for how higher education and science systems can respond.

While the proportion of women in tertiary education has been growing around the world, STEM programmes are still lagging behind in their inclusion of women. The United Nation’s 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report noted that for STEM globally, women make up only 35 percent of students, and, typically, their representation in STEM faculties is considerably lower.

This is especially true at more senior levels, which is also reflected in the membership of national science academies.

In low to middle income countries (LMICs), women’s share as tertiary graduates and as researchers is often considerably lower in natural sciences, especially engineering and technology, than in arts and humanities, according to 2018 data from UNESCO’s Science Report.

In parallel with the importance of women’s active participation as scientists, in many disciplines gender analysis is now recognised as integral to high-quality research. In natural sciences and engineering, however, gender analysis remains underdeveloped, limiting the scope and potential impact of research in these fields.

Zimbabwe’s mission should be to provide the best start for every child, especially in rural communities by empowering teachers. There is need to engage the academia to find creative ways to get more girls to be excited about STEM. This will go a long way in making children embrace lifelong learning while preparing themselves for a future of unpredictable challenges.

In the past decade, there have been many pioneering efforts to document and address these twin deficits – the unequal participation of women in science, and the limited gender analysis in STEM research. Particularly notable has been the work of UNESCO, as well as UN Women and the Global Research Council, which have documented the gaps and initiatives to advance gender equality in science, technology, and innovation in different regions and countries. A number of programs in LMICs have involved support for individual women scientists.

Others have addressed institutional policies and practices of universities and research funding agencies and the extent to which they have created an enabling environment for women scientists. One issue attracting considerable attention across universities has been gender-based harassment and sexual violence and how these affect women and other groups, though with less attention to the specific risks that women face as scientists.

Zimbabwe should not be left out in a world which is highly connected and continuously supplied with cutting-edge digital advances.

The girl child should not be left out of STEM, which is forecast to drive jobs, innovation and the overall well-being of people in future.

All stakeholders should invest in STEM to transform and diversify the country’s economy and raise the skills level of future populations.

The world over, STEM is hailed as the ultimate solution to inclusive growth and sustainable development. If girls and boys are not encouraged to take science subjects, they will continue to be left on the other side of digital divide. – @andile_tshuma