We Must Work Collectively to End the Stigma Around Girls’ in STEM
By Ola Abdelhafiz, Qatar
Read this post in Arabic
The MENA region is the only place where there are more girl STEM students than boys. I believe that in male-dominated societies women feel the need to work harder to prove themselves, so they mostly choose to study harder subjects that come with more difficulties. When it comes to the workplace, however, most of these women don’t work in STEM fields for reasons such as societal pressure and judgment. It’s assumed that women lose an aspect of their identity when they start working in a STEM field, because it takes time and dedication, the pay is often unequal, families are not supportive, and many other reasons.
If we want more girls to study and work in STEM fields, schools, parents, and policy makers must work collectively to end the stigma around girls in STEM. Policy makers should make STEM fields more adaptable for girls, and that starts with understanding the differences between being a male and a female in society and respecting the biological differences in women, including fair policies around pregnancy and maternity leave. Policy makers should also ensure that those responsible for giving wages in the workplace are not oppressing minority women. And there should be regulations on the media, which plays a huge part in promoting stigma around girls in STEM fields.
Families are extremely important in supporting and encouraging girls to get into STEM because the ideas and beliefs they raise their daughters on will have lifelong effects on the way they face difficulties and challenges in life. Families must help their daughters build confidence and encourage them to face challenges with strength, while also introducing them to inspiring women in various STEM fields.
Schools also play a crucial role in encouraging girls to get into STEM, because not all girls are lucky enough to have supportive families. From a young age schools should introduce girls to STEM subjects and the benefits of getting into STEM careers and providing them with role models to look up to. Girls should see information about successful women in STEM fields who changed the world forever in classrooms, around school halls, and in libraries. To build their confidence in STEM subjects, educators should encourage girls to believe in their abilities and skills, and to know they are not less smart than boys in STEM subjects. They must also educate girls about the reality of working in STEM fields, supporting them to fight the challenges they might face on their way to reaching their goals, and simply empowering them to be the future of STEM.
To ensure more girls get into STEM and continue to pursue it, we must work as a team to help them dream and reach their goals.
