For years women have been underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in university courses and occupations.  According to UNESCO less than 30% of the world’s researchers are women, female students and employees are under-represented in STEM-related fields and Less than a third of female students choose to study higher education courses in subjects like math and engineering. Global female enrollment is particularly low in certain fields. Just 3% of students joining information and communication technology (ICT) courses across the globe are women. That improves slightly to 5% for mathematics and statistics courses. And it increases to 8% for engineering, manufacturing and construction courses. Today the world revolve around STEM where women also should be equally represented.

Get her Perspective about STEM

As an educator or a parent, allow the girls to talk about theirs views on STEM. Create a series of informal conversation with them and allow them to air their views freely over a period of time. Share with them information on STEM especially careers that exist in STEM and are new to them and allow them to ask questions. Get to know their likes and dislikes and the attitudes they hold towards STEM.  On the other hand inquire on their interest or curiosity on STEM and expound on them. Inquire on their future possibilities in STEM field and what they fear most. Lastly get them to identify problems they encounter in their surrounding especially as girls and how they could solve. Then explain to them how STEM can provide solutions for these problems and how they can champion if they pursue careers in STEM.

Clarify STEM myths

There are multiple reasons for the historical under-representation of women in STEM areas, ranging from entrenched cultural attitudes to systemic issues, such as the impact of discriminatory practices in professional and academic settings. Some of the myths include:

• Myth: There is a relationship between gender and mathematical ability

Fact: Girls and boys are equally competent at maths – there is no evidence of inherent superiority one way or another.

• Myth: Women just aren’t interested in STEM careers

Fact: Rates of female participation in STEM fields correlate not with ‘interest’, but with inclusivity and the creation of positive cultural environments

 After collecting their views identify and separate the myths and what is true. Try to use STEM role models they can identify with to clarify the myths.

Expose her to STEM Careers

Early exposure of a child to a range of STEM careers information open a continuous conversion between her with the teachers or parents, where girls are not exceptional. Create an opportunity for discussion on career opportunities in STEM looking at both advantage and challenges on each career line. Plan and organize for meetings and interaction of the girls with women in STEM fields as well as the girls visiting their work environments and observing how their daily routine is. In situation where they cannot be able to meet with the experts have virtual meetings as well as get videos or simulations of the different career tracks in STEM.

Connect her to STEM role models/Mentor

Educators/parents should start by showing girls what women in STEM have achieved: how they have shaped history and changed our lives for the better. These can be achieved by bringing female role models into the classroom or home. Research recently undertaken by Microsoft has revealed that exposure to real world examples of STEM and the presence of role models and mentors have a profound impact on girls and their connection with STEM.

Help the girl/s to research and identify a right female role model in STEM. Secondly with your guidance help her to get in touch with the mentor and make your intention known. Together with the girl/s and their mentor create an ongoing coaching with your guidance. Non-profit organization in Mombasa Kenya Pwani Teknowgalz run STEM mentor ship programs for girls in secondary and primary schools.

Through the mentor ship process the girls; will be empowered, get answers to questions, digest difficult concepts more clearly and easily, learn importance of sharing ideas through discussion and real-life understanding and relevance, get concrete advice about their goals, see into the future of different careers,  and confidence to dream about solving problems.

Expose her to STEM Fair with the Boys

The girls should not be place in a bubble but allowed to compete with boys at all levels. The research has shown that promoting a growth mindset can challenge negative stereotypes about the ability of girls to succeed in STEM. This is especially important when girls are young and also in senior years when they are under pressure to select subjects. Educators/parents should encourage the girls to compete with the boys on STEM fair and showcase their strengths. The exposure will allow the girls to build on their confidence and to be exposed on what await them out in the real world that is competitive.

Failure is Part of Life

One of the most essential component of development is failure and girls are not immune to it. It’s important that educators/parents show girls that STEM fields rely on trial-and-error and that they rarely find a solution on the first try. Girls feel much more pressure than boys to be perfect, so it is necessary to emphasize that perfect is not always necessary, and sometimes hinders the learning process. Learning from failure and discovering where the mistakes come from and troubleshooting new strategies for the next time is the value that girls should acquire as they venture into STEM field. When children see how their efforts have paid off, they will be more likely to view STEM ability from a growth perspective.