The biologist Judith A. Ramaley coined the phrase STEM in 2011 while leading the Natural Science Institution of the United States and overseeing the creation of fresh curricula. STEM education curriculum is designed for graduate school and college to get pupils ready for professions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM education strives to develop critical thinking, reasoning, and teamwork abilities among students in addition to subject-specific knowledge. The main fields of study that compose STEM education are the sciences of nature, the physical world, and life (often including medicine); disciplines linked to computers, electronics, and other technology; every kind of engineering and mathematics; or any discipline where a significant amount of mathematical principles is used.
Through promoting critical thinking and analysis, STEM education aids in the development of problem-solving abilities. Scientific and technological breakthroughs that enhance living standards and contribute to economic development are fueled by STEM, an innovative force. Research also has shown that investing in STEM skills and Research and Development has a positive impact on GDP per capita. As technology advances, the need for a developed and fast-paced career is inevitable. Notably, globalization has accelerated technological innovation and increased rivalry in the digital age, since almost every industry has experienced growth. Many large-scale issues, such as disease control, population patterns, climate change, and population dynamics, need to be thoroughly investigated right away due to the rapid and radical change of the world. Today, STEM careers are consequently in increasing demand.
Innovation, technological adaptation, and a cultivable workforce — comprising both males and females — will be critical to Bangladesh’s future if the emphasis is not given to women’s sustainable participation in the workforce. STEM is becoming increasingly important as Bangladesh prepares to face a wide range of complex challenges, including, but not limited to, rising inequality, global health epidemics, economic, and climate change. As diversity plays a critical role in innovation and advancement, women’s engagement in STEM fields is also equally vital in the country. The advancement of a nation and its use of science and technology are directly related to each other.
It is notable that in Bangladesh, women make up about 80–85 percent of the labor in the apparel business, although men hold the positions of leadership. A smaller percentage of low-skilled and labor-intensive jobs are held by women in the apparel industry. Throughout their schooling, girls and women are methodically discouraged from pursuing careers in science and math, which limits their access to these subjects and their preparation for them. Girls and women can acquire the skills they need to thrive in a changing, cutthroat workforce by pursuing STEM education. It’s important to enhance their transferable soft skill set. Only 25 percent of girls asked to sketch scientists will depict a female by the age of sixteen.
For many years since the 1960s, sociologists have used the “Draw A Scientist” test in their research. Girls produced all of the drawings, which represented women as scientists in just 0.6 percent of cases. But it is far more evenly divided among younger children. Extensive research — conducted over the last three decades — has revealed that 83 percent of boys and 70 percent of girls at six years old drew themselves. However, stereotypes are absorbed by kids as they grow up. Eighty-two percent of scientists are male, up from fifty-four percent at age six. This is due to girls’ transition, around the age of 11, to predominantly sketching scientists who are men. When females reach sixteen, seventy-five percent of them draw men as scientists.
This lack of confidence is directly related to the obstacles women encounter in the STEM fields of study and employment. In the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, women only make up 34 percent of the workforce and the majority of college students studying in STEM fields are male. In fields like computer science and engineering, which are predicted to develop at the quickest rates and pay the greatest salaries, there are notably large gender disparities. In Bangladesh, 35 percent of working-age women are employed, compared to 20 percent in India and 22 percent in Pakistan. Although this may seem like quite good progress for women in comparison to its neighbors, women’s participation in STEM fields is still below average in Bangladesh. There’s still a long way to go, despite the fact that women all across the world are breaking through gender preconceptions and making significant scientific contributions.
The advancement of Bangladesh depends strategically on women being empowered in STEM fields and it goes beyond simple gender equality. Establishing a workforce that is inclusive and varied is fundamental to Bangladesh’s transition to a knowledge-based economy. Eighty percent of occupations in Southeast Asia by 2030 are expected to require basic digital and applied literacy in ICT domains, according to a study conducted by the International Labour Organization. Moreover, women who work primarily in jobs requiring little to no STEM skills will have less employability over the course of the next 20 years. Bangladesh must acknowledge STEM as a major catalyst to secure a sustainable future. There might be an increasing amount of women getting proper jobs and getting paid well but science needs more women as Bangladesh is moving towards development day by day.
Not only for developing countries but also for developed nations, women in STEM still are a complicated thing. Because of the lack of knowledge on how women can be a great resource for making a better world. The proportion of girls enrolled in STEM topics at the postsecondary level is relatively low — despite the fact that girls outperform boys in school. And still more leave at this point, mostly for the following reasons: ignorance of appropriate skills and employment opportunities; absence of networking opportunities; inaccurate information about labor market returns connected with it; and policies and workplaces that are not encouraging to women. The universities’ lack of cooperation causes the gap to grow even wider. Opportunities for partnerships and internships with employers are few.
It won’t be easy but it won’t be hard either to get the girls to have their own way in the field of STEM. It is possible to make this happen by creating a supporting ground for women to pursue their desired careers in STEM. Students can be motivated to enter this field by STEM leaders. Girls are more likely to pursue STEM education and jobs if they have role models in the field who are also of their gender. Gender prejudices can be dispelled by showcasing accomplished women in STEM fields. Also, establishing a secure ground where all kids believe they have the ability to succeed is crucial. Creating an inclusive learning environment in the classroom is essential to promoting female participation in STEM.
Engaging students from diverse backgrounds in STEM courses can be achieved through experiential learning opportunities. Regardless of gender, these activities can support children in gaining self-assurance in their skills and passion for STEM. They can also offer chances for cooperation and teamwork, two things necessary for any kid who wants to pursue a career in STEM. Closing the gender gap in STEM requires removing systemic barriers like the female wage gap, a lack of family-friendly regulations, and gender prejudice in grant funding. Businesses and organizations ought to endeavor to develop policies that tackle these problems and advance gender parity.
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