5 tips to solve the issue of girls' participation in STEM areas

Living in the current technological world, full of opportunities, significant advancements, and possibilities might make one think that men and women are finally living at peace and that the biggest issue they face has to do with which latest device they are going to acquire, but... that is not completely true. Gender inequality is far away from not being considered a global problem, women and young girls are still at a disadvantage in terms of, for example, education and work for the XXI century, which in the last decade has evolved to be based on the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) approach, and not so long ago on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). According to the Sustainable Development Goals from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDO, 2015), scientific and technological development are the basis of human interaction and existence, which require more and more participation of scientists and engineers that enhance innovation, improvement, and consolidation of processes, procedures, methods, and strategies that end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that people all around the world can enjoy a better quality of life. Despite the importance of having more and more people involved in STEM areas, women’s participation in STEM and STEAM education and employment equals only 30% around the world, and in some specific regions, they only represent 5% to 10% (Unesco, 2017). In a globalized world that progressively depends on technology, women and young girls will lose the possibility to grow personally and professionally, by contributing to the solution of the problems in education, the environment, the economy, etc., unless they become involved in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics fields, even better if they get involved in transversal projects, which is precisely the STEM and STEAM approaches. Acknowledging this problem, from its causes to the possible consequences, needs to become part of any conversation involving kids. “Kids are the future,” that is correct, but the future is here, and girls, as much as boys, deserve to feel interested in, and needed by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, women and young girls need to be recognized and validated (somehow) to participate and contribute to these areas from home and school, at a young age or not. Therefore, the question is, where is this problem coming from and how can we solve it? Why do girls not feel interested in STEM areas? Surprisingly, the problem comes from family and school. At early stages of children's education at home, parents or keepers transmit to kids the idea that activities for boys are different from the ones girls should be part of. Think about how, at Christmas, girls get dolls and home appliances as presents, while boys get science kits for learning robotics and lately, kits for learning to code. Of course, this is not a general rule and there are several implications like familiar, individual, and sociocultural factors that should be considered too, but the scene has been normalized for generations. The consequence is simple, children establish their interests in completely different fields that later, at school, will enhance stereotypes about professions in science and engineering, making girls go for careers in other fields but STEM/STEAM because, since the beginning, they have been taught that their capacities, abilities, and intelligence should be focused on something “different,” “easier,” “girlier,” etc. Women’s interest has become a major concern and point of reference for transforming career stereotypes, in Canada, institutions are including more inclusive language and are aiming to get more young women to enroll at colleges and universities to go for STEM related degrees. According to https://www.educanada.ca/, there is a great amount of “...world-leading science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs at colleges and universities across [the country],” considering that Canada is the 8th country to share high-quality research outputs from academic institutions in the field of natural sciences, biology and microbiology, physics, and environmental sciences are great options to bear in mind when selecting a professional path, for example. How can we make girls feel interested in STEM areas? Although solving the issue of girls’ participation in STEM and STEAM programs depends widely on the transformation of the educational system, and the sociocultural constructs of family roles taught at home, it is not impossible. Gómez and Duque (2019), propose some alternatives that can help girls get involved in science-related fields, at an early age, with the help of parents, teachers, and caregivers in their life. Tips to make girls get involved in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematic (STEAM) areas 1. Adults, in any context, at any time, must avoid expressions, comments, signs, and statements that reinforce gender stereotypes, for example: “Boys are better at math than girls,” acknowledging the importance of words is key for children's education and personal development, assertive and positive communication can make a difference in children’s behavior. Encourage girls with words, make them feel capable, and teach them with love and patience that they can do whatever they want, even if it means they will get dirty and will look a little less girly. 2. Motivate and promote girls’ interests in activities related to STEM skills. This will be a lot easier to accomplish if you set an example and act as a “partner in crime.” From watching TV shows for kids based on science to learning about coding with them can enhance the idea of wanting to build robots when you are an 8-year-old girl. 3. Enhancing the special abilities that are directly related to women’s interest and performance in, for instance, mathematics, games and sports activities are the answer here. Work with building blocks, geometric figures, mosaics, patterns, sequences, puzzles, etc., these are great options for accomplishing this objective, as well as building cars, robots, and even dolls, by following instructions. 4. Teaching practices at school should allow girls to obtain a different perspective on STEAM fields. It might sound difficult, but it is not. In science, manipulation activities such as experiments and construction are great tools, and in literature, teachers can focus on reading stories about women in science, innovation, and scientific discoveries made by them. All the above, by avoiding the reinforcement of competitive environments, women usually learn and work better collaboratively. 5. Finally, girls are, can, and should be self-efficient, making them aware of that fact will enhance their capacity for autonomous learning and self-reflection, which will lead ultimately to coming closer to STEM knowledge, skills and their features. The current globalized world, and concepts like global villages and world citizens, have reinforced the necessity of having more people working on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Men and women, their similarities, and differences, can contribute equally to solving problems that will improve the quality of life of humanity. It is our job as parents, teachers, and keepers to propend for the participation of young girls in science, from home and school, united efforts will allow them to switch their mindset, abandon sociocultural stereotypes, and move forward a path of innovation, problem-solving and better opportunities. References Gómez, M. y Duque, M. (June, 2019). Brechas. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from: https://www.pequenoscientificos.org/uploads/7/6/6/4/76644211/brechas_genero.pdf Sustainable development goals: United Nations Development Programme. UNDP. (2015). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development- goals?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand _English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQjw48 OaBhDWARIsAMd966DybKupN60gomLEbYEHS0qacZQgErbh2WUPP9KJkmBZ0DTPay EW30AaAidCEALw_wcB Unesco. (2017). Cracking the code girls' and Women's education in Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics (Stem). 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