Home ›› 07 Mar 2023 ›› Corporate
Speakers in a discussion programme on Monday said that the conservative outlook of society is widening the gender gap and shortening women’s access and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
“If society does not change, more women’s participation in STEM will be impossible. The prevalence of gender stereotyping in our society and the lack of a robust education system are the key barriers according to me. We need a massive change in our national curriculum. From the government’s end, we are taking step to make science education compulsory for all students up to the age of sixteen in Bangladesh”, they said at the event organised by ActionAid Bangladesh marking International Women’s Day 2023.
“We have also appointed gender specialist to ensure our curriculum is gender sensitive”, said Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, deputy minister of the Education Ministry at the event titled ‘Innovation: Women’s Access and Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)’.
Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh in her opening remarks said “Women fought for their rights 100 years ago and continue to do so in 2023 with the intent of equality across all aspects and dimensions of life. In 2023 the emphasis is on digital equity – ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’ and promoting women’s participation in STEM.”
Experts from different sectors joined the event and highlighted the importance of innovation and technology for gender equality, the present status of women in the fields of STEM, and the way forward to improve both in the future in the context of Bangladesh.
Dr Nova Ahmed, Professor of North South University, opined “Data shows in terms of population, the ratio of men and women is almost same. Even the completion rate of higher secondary studies in Bangladesh is similar across both genders. However, the scenario is completely opposite when it comes to employment. Only 1/4th of the working population are women. When we tried to identify the causes we found social perception, lack of safety of women and self-doubt about competency are keeping women away from STEM.”
Dr Salma Sultana, founder of Model Livestock Advancement Foundation mentioned that “When it comes to women’s participation in this sector, I often find women to withdraw from their jobs due to family responsibilities.”
