Promoting STEM Participation Across Africa: Evidence from a Women Techsters Drive
- By Gladys Ehindola, Oluwatosin Mayor-Olabiyitan and Oluwafemi Awopegba
Background
There have been concerns about the relatively small number of students in general, and girls in particular, who choose science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in high school. Studies have shown several reasons for the lack of girls in STEM (Zeyer et al., 2013; Bamberger et al., 2014).
These reasons are indicated by factors such as different parents’ and teachers’ expectations of boys and girls, gender differences in learning styles, and different professional choices. Girls tend to perceive STEM and its relevance to their lives less positively than boys and female students tend to believe that they cannot work in STEM-related professions in the future. For such reasons, girls tend to avoid pursuing STEM careers.
Globally, Females are significantly underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Women and girls’ enrolment in university STEM courses is much lower than their male counterparts. As a result of these factors, many girls are discouraged from participating in sciences. A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute revealed that in Africa, the participation of women and girls in STEM remains at the global average. Persistent gender disparity excludes women and girls in STEM from achieving their potential and effectively contributes to development challenges.
Wang et al., 2015 revealed that the biggest influence on female decisions to pursue STEM is due to controllable factors, such as encouragement and exposure, particularly within the school and out-of-school experiences, and that family influence and awareness of STEM are critical in shaping the decision of girls to participate in STEM. Key influencers such as teachers, parents, religious leaders, and the media can help reshape girls’ perceptions regarding STEM participation (Fitzsimmons et al., 2021).
Evidence from a Women Techsters’ International Day of the Girl Child Drive
The International Day of the Girl Child 2022 was anchored on exposing young girls and women to the impact of STEM education on their lives, families, and communities, which would significantly increase their participation. The Tech Drive was expected to impact 20,000 girls with digital knowledge in different African communities and educate them on career opportunities in STEM education. Through the Tech Girls Drive, young girls across Africa would eventually participate in Africa’s technology ecosystem in Africa.
This article analyses both the participants’ and Fellows’ surveys of the Tech Girls Drive. The Fellows were female alumni of the Women Techsters Initiative who volunteered to address girls’ participation in STEM by sharing their stories. On the other hand, participants were young girls and ladies who were recipients of the advocacy talks shared by the Fellows across Africa. Four hundred twelve registered Fellows were instrumental in visiting rural and urban areas, reaching 1845 participants.
The Tech-Girls drive targets to reach over 20,000 young girls across 15 African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeria, South Sudan, Morocco, Angola, Mozambique, Madagascar and Egypt. However, the highest five countries were in this order — Nigeria 323, Kenya 22, Ethiopia 17, Egypt 15, and Mozambique 8. Results of visits recorded across the board were 90% (381) schools, 13% religious centers, 12% community centers, and about 4% to other locations. These diverse locations contributed to increasing STEM awareness.
The Tech Drive participants’ survey revealed that 60% of students took part at the senior secondary level, 29.8% junior level secondary school students, 7.2% primary school pupils, and 2.5% were either seeking or awaiting admission into tertiary institutions. Participants at various African locations were imparted from 80% (1485) urban areas and 19% (356) rural localities. These results show that the outreach primarily benefited secondary school students who attended urban schools.
One thousand one hundred and eighty seven (1,187) participants who answered “Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM)” for the question “What type of class do you belong to or hope to do?” also answered “Yes” for “if they desire to know more about Technology, based on the advocacy talk.”
This indicates that most participants were willing to broaden their knowledge, skills, and competence in STEM-related information despite the varying amounts of what they already know about STEM. The statistics of the courses the total participants were willing to study next included the following: Science 632 (34%), Computer Science/ Tech 644 (34.9%), Engineering 189 (10%), Mathematics 100(18%) whereas 280(15%) selected “none of the above.”
These findings indicate the prevalence of “Science” as the highest choice. The choice of class and course type shows participants’ awareness of the need to be scientifically literate. Although about 55% of participants (1021) attended a science class or digital skills training compared to 824 who did not, 1005 of those with science backgrounds still wish to know more about Technology, based on what they heard during the advocacy talk.
Concluding Remarks
Engagement programs such as the Tech Girls Drive are crucial in encouraging girls to participate in STEM wherever they find themselves. Exposing young girls and women to the impact of STEM starts with providing adequate information through relevant channels.
This awareness creation can positively influence females’ overall perception of STEM courses and careers and generally promote their participation in STEM courses and jobs. To address some challenges to STEM participation, especially in Africa, students, especially females, need to gain a better understanding through the stories of those who have walked the same path. Girls and females are better inspired towards STEM if participation is free and fair.
Perceptions about STEM-related professions and career opportunities are an issue globally, and these misconceptions start from an early age. To reshape and better upskill the girls and women to pursue STEM courses and careers, the focus must begin with providing the correct information and awareness creation, as “STEM education underpins innovation and plays a critical role in economic and business growth” (PwC, 2015). Furthermore, awareness creation about STEM is recommended as the key to broadening community understanding of STEM.
STEM-based organizations (both for-profit and not-for-profit) can provide STEM advocacy and engagement programs promoting girls’ participation in STEM courses and careers. (Prinsley et al., 2016) This stakeholder category also includes female mentors, industry groups, teacher associations, principal’s groups, and groups representing communities underrepresented in STEM.
All these groups and organizations can support STEM engagement through various activities, such as providing opportunities, expertise, programs, and experiences. They can be crucial in promoting STEM engagement and connecting young people to pathways for STEM engagements. STEM outreach groups and organizations can change the culture of STEM and community perceptions, support STEM education, promote STEM engagement and participation, and raise the profile of STEM, most especially among girls and women.
Reference
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- Prinsley, R., Beavis, A., and Clifford-Hordacre, N. (2016). Office of the Chief Scientist. Occasional Paper Series, Scientist Issue 13, November 2016. Busting Myths about Women in STEM. http:// www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2016/11/occasional-paper-bustingmyths-about-women-in-stem/ [Accessed 31st January 2017]
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