Female education in STEM
The organization UNESCO has stated that this gender disparity is due to discrimination, biases, social norms and expectations that influence the quality of education women receive and the subjects they study.
Differences are also observed by disciplines, with female enrollment lowest in engineering, manufacturing and construction, natural science, mathematics and statistics and ICT fields.
Significant regional and country differences in female representation in STEM studies can be observed, though, suggesting the presence of contextual factors affecting girls’ and women's engagement in these fields.
Women leave STEM disciplines in disproportionate numbers during their higher education studies, in their transition to the world of work and even in their career cycle.
For example, where data are available in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the gender gap is largely in favor of boys in mathematics achievement in secondary education.
Gender differences are observed within mathematical sub-topics with girls outperforming boys in topics such as algebra and geometry but doing less well in "number".
[16] Parents, including their beliefs and expectations, play an important role in shaping girls' attitudes towards, and interest in, STEM studies.
Parents can also have a strong influence on girls' STEM participation and learning achievement through the family values, environment, experiences, and encouragement that they provide.
Factors such as ethnicity, language used at home, immigrant status, and family structure may also have an influence on girls' participation and performance in STEM.
Assessment processes and tools that are gender-biased or include gender stereotypes may negatively affect girls' performance in STEM.
To inspire and create an environment that is welcoming to girls, it is important to encourage them to pursue STEM areas from an early age in their education.
When the job title was adjusted to sound less masculine and more geared towards relationship building, females appeared to be more likely to enter the STEM field.
[15] Creative Resilience: Art by Women in Science is a multi–media exhibition and accompanying publication, produced in 2021 by the Gender Section of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The project aims to give visibility to women, both professionals and university students, working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
