Girls Urged to Embrace Science Related Careers
Women in the science sector are encouraging girls at the secondary school level to pursue science subjects, emphasizing their importance in securing positions in the competitive job market. They highlight the significant underrepresentation of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
Government projections indicate a surge in science-related job opportunities in the future, prompting these women to urge girls to seize these prospects.
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Dr. Purity Ngina, Regional Manager of the Zizi Afrique Foundation and Kenya’s youngest PhD holder in Biomathematics, stresses the importance of embracing STEM courses.
She asserts that government projections indicate a substantial portion of the future workforce will be in STEM fields, making it crucial for girls not to be left behind.
Their advocacy aligns with UN-Women’s 2022 findings, revealing a notable gender gap in STEM-related occupations worldwide.
Similarly, a 2020 UNESCO report underscores this gap, indicating that women comprise only 30% of researchers globally and 35% of students enrolled in STEM fields. In Kenya, the numbers are even lower, with only 14% in natural sciences and 11% in engineering and technology.
In response, UN-Women calls for collaborative efforts to equip girls with the requisite skills and address workplace challenges hindering women’s participation in STEM careers.
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They advocate for the adoption of inclusive practices and policies to attract and advance women in STEM fields, emphasizing the pivotal role of STEM skills in future job markets.
During celebrations at Tumutumu Girls Secondary School in Nyeri, speakers, including Eng Jacinta Mwangi from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, emphasized the importance of continuous mentorship and parental support in encouraging girls to pursue science careers.
Eng Mwangi highlights the need for ongoing mentorship to underscore the significance of mathematics and science, urging parents to support their children’s interest in STEM subjects.
Dr. Ngina, who became Kenya’s youngest PhD holder in Biomathematics at 28, underscores the importance of encouraging girls to pursue STEM fields, highlighting her own groundbreaking achievement in the discipline. At 34, she remains the youngest PhD holder in Biomathematics, a field utilizing mathematical models to elucidate biological phenomena.
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Girls Urged to Embrace Science Related Careers
