A study carried out by Unesco shows how arduous the path of the struggle for gender equality in the labor market is. According to the survey, only 28% of researchers worldwide in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are women. The study also reveals that females have the lowest number of awards.
The data were collected “Cracking the code: educating girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics”. However, the study also shows that the disparity is not related to intellectual capacity, but to social constructions that distance female representatives from these areas. Constructions, these, reinforced at school and in the family itself.
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The author of the study is the specialist of the Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality of Unesco, Theophania Chavatzia. In conversation with Agência Brasil, she points out that half of the production and potential will not be used if this type of exclusion continues. The researcher reinforces the recognition of the importance of STEM (acronym that represents the areas indicated) for the solution of problems of our generation.
Theophania mentions that gender stereotypes keep girls away from this area from a very early age. The conclusion is reinforced by the results obtained in the Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (Terce), of the Latin American Laboratory for the Evaluation of Quality in Education. The report shows that, in the 4th year of Elementary School, girls perform about 15 points better than boys.
However, in the 7th grade, these positions are reversed and boys start to have the same performance advantage over girls. This happens because, as they grow up, they lose interest in STEM and focus on other areas, choosing other careers. They come to believe that this area is not appropriate for them, a very complex situation.
However, this does not happen in all countries. In nations where the gap between boys and girls in STEM is not significant, females perform about three times better than males. According to the International Study of Mathematics and Science, in countries where boys excel more than girls, the difference in science is eight points. In regions where the opposite occurs, the difference is 24 points.
For this reason, Theophania stresses the need to create public policies that prevent girls from moving away from STEM. These are areas affected by gender stereotypes and it is necessary to encourage women to enter them, providing them with opportunities. She cites the example of Australia which invests millions in promoting STEM education for girls through scholarships.
The researcher comments on the risks that the world runs when losing girls in the STEM areas. In the interview with Agência Brasil, she comments that leaving half the population out means that half will not come up with solutions. And yet, “if we consider STEM as the job of the future, with better wages and recognition, and we exclude women, we are reinforcing inequalities”.
