C2C TechLab in progress
Guest blogger and C2C supporter, Paulette Prentice, is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about female empowerment and women in STEM. She supports C2C because she also believes that girls are capable of anything they set their hearts and minds to, all they need is guidance and the resources to get them there.
INTRODUCTION
Women are making great strides in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) but are still underrepresented and undervalued in this field. Girls are often discouraged from enrolling in STEM courses, which can lead to a lack of confidence in their abilities and ultimately diminish their pursuit of STEM courses in the future. However, girls are vital to the STEM workforce now more than ever. According to a study from Frontiers in Psychology, increasing women’s visibility and power in male-dominated occupations will reduce gender discrimination and create a more welcoming environment for other women pursuing these jobs. As women enter these fields, a larger population of people will make great discoveries and contributions to the world. As such, empowering girls through STEM is key to changing the landscape for the better.
PARTICIPATION
One of the reasons girls may feel apprehensive about pursuing STEM is the lack of opportunities to learn about the field since early gender expectations hold them back. However, a study by the Universidad del Norte found that participation in STEM activities can maintain or improve motivation to study a STEM program, which is why girls should be encouraged to explore these subjects freely. STEM clubs, events, and activities will equip them with knowledge and nurture the skills that can keep them inspired to pursue a STEM path in the future. As covered in the C2C post on International Women’s Day, providing girls with these learning resources can also help develop and shape important life skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving.
REPRESENTATION
Girls interested in STEM subjects may not see themselves represented in the media. Moreover, they may lack a female role model or mentor in STEM who they can emulate as they pursue their education or career. Some progress is being made here as more women are highlighted in STEM-centric stories across all industries. Case in point, Jane Adamson presents inspiring women who have launched vegan healthcare products. Women such as Hannah Saunders, Miyoko Schinner, and Melissa Butler combined their business acumen with STEM know-how to provide the market with suitable vegan alternatives. There are so many inspiring women who are using STEM to change their communities, societies, and even the world. Allowing girls to see and learn from other powerful women in STEM can impress upon them that there is room for them in these industries too.
RECOGNITION
Despite the contributions of girls and women in STEM, they are not always acknowledged or celebrated for their accomplishments. There exists a “data gap” where male experiences are viewed as the universal standard on which societal norms are based, while female experiences are not considered. This gap, discussed by Caroline Criado Perez in Invisible Women, forces girls to navigate a world that can be hostile and biased against them. Unfortunately, the data gap is quite pronounced in STEM fields. If girls are acknowledged for their work and feel respected within the community, they will be able to achieve bigger and better things. NASA’s human computers like Katherine Johnson were hugely important in getting man to the moon, but their work was often unacknowledged. She and the other women working there only got recognition in recent years, but have inspired many women and girls to pursue STEM.
C2C believes that girls deserve the proper resources to develop and keep their passion for STEM alive. Empowerment should start early on, and we are committed to guiding girls on the paths they choose for themselves and to providing access, representation, and recognition where we can. If you are interested in helping us support girls in STEM, check out more of our website to find out how you can get involved.
Resources
Thanks to the Internet, access to resources about women in STEM has been made more available, for example through: Smithsonian Science Education Center, Women@NASA, and Physics Girl.