These days, when it comes to chasing your dreams, it seems like the sky’s the limit. No matter your gender or background, there are avenues to pursue your goals to the best of your ambition.
However, while it is more and more encouraged for young people to pursue their dreams regardless of gender, some fields still need a little extra push to get through the gender barrier.
One of these fields is the STEM field. It has always been a struggle to encourage women to join STEM, and many people wonder what could be the cause of this phenomenon. After all, STEM is a physically accessible field, should you have the passion and determination to excel.
While we do not claim to know the answers to why STEM remains a rather male-dominated field, here are some ways for you to encourage the young women in your life to pursue a career in STEM, especially if they show great potential and passion for the sciences.
Early Exposure:
While schools provide equal opportunities across the board to students of all genders, there are some extra steps you can provide outside of school hours to encourage your budding young scientist.
Provide young girls with early exposure to STEM subjects through engaging and hands-on activities. You can tailor the types of activities that they are exposed to depending on their age and even adjust the difficulty of the activities they are exposed to as they get older to keep them challenged and engaged.
Some of these activities could include interactive workshops, STEM-themed events, DIY experiments or field trips to science museums or laboratories. You can even expose them to resources online, where they can absorb information from the comfort of their own home.
Not only are you spending time with your child and showing them that you are supportive of their interests, but you are also introducing STEM concepts in a fun and accessible way, even igniting their interest and curiosity from a young age.
Role Models and Mentors:
If you are an educator or a curriculum planner and you are looking for ways to interest your student population in the sciences and give your female students a little extra jolt of motivation, this might be one of the many ways to do it.
Showcase female role models and mentors who have succeeded in STEM fields. You can highlight these accomplished women through displays in the science section of your library, with informative posters on the background of these women in STEM and their achievements.
By showing a wide range of women from all cultures and periods, you can highlight to your students that through the ages, women have always been making waves in the world of STEM.
If you wish to go the extra mile, invite women working in STEM careers to speak at schools, mentorship programs, or career fairs, allowing young girls to see themselves represented and inspired by women who have pursued and excelled in STEM fields.
Relevant and Relatable Curriculum:
Develop a STEM curriculum that emphasizes real-world applications and relevance to girls’ lives and interests. Some women and girls shy away from STEM fields because their innovations sometimes do not align with their femininity.
For example, women and girls who are interested in traditionally feminine things, like fashion and makeup, might be hesitant to enter STEM fields, where feminine women might be taken less seriously or seen as shallow for their “girly” interests.
Instead, you can show women how their interests can work in their favour. The development of cosmetics and new methods to create fashion can be a very innovative and scientific one. Instead of focusing on the traditionally male methods of STEM development, like robotics and the like, perhaps challenge all students to create a perfume or an innovative method of creating new fabrics.
Not only does this allow female students to bridge their feminine interests with the world of STEM, but it can also challenge their budding male peers to leave toxic masculinity in the past.
Highlight how STEM fields contribute to solving global challenges, improving everyday life, and making a difference in the world, showing young girls the potential impact and importance of their contributions in these fields.
Encourage Curiosity and Creativity:
Foster a supportive learning environment that encourages curiosity, experimentation, and creativity. Encourage girls to ask questions, explore their interests, and think critically about STEM concepts. Provide opportunities for hands-on experimentation, problem-solving, and project-based learning, allowing girls to engage with STEM subjects in a meaningful and exciting way.
Last but not least, the best way to make STEM an inclusive field for everyone is by challenging stereotypes and biases about gender and STEM by promoting inclusive and diverse representations of scientists, engineers, and innovators.
By offering resources and activities that debunk stereotypes and showcase the diversity of people working in STEM fields, everyone is encouraged to challenge assumptions and believe in their abilities, emphasizing that STEM is for everyone regardless of gender.
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