The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) in partnership with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has launched the Seats for Ladies in Stem Initiative(S4LIS) with the aim to further close the gender gap within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) ecosystem in Ghana.
Delivering the keynote address on Wednesday, 14th December 2022 at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Center of Excellence in ICT in Accra, the Sector Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP), said that, gender inequality was one of the problems that had gained much attention at the global stage and at many international fora of which has also taken centre stage in policies of many Governments especially in Africa.
She noted that any development agenda been championed by the governments could not gloss over the need to implement interventions to address the inequality in the education and specific job environments. Adding that while the inequality had positioned the female gender in disadvantaged situations and thereby curtailed their growth and development, it had also compromised the optimal utilization of human capital in various countries.
Sharing some statistics with participant at the event, she stated that research has revealed that “the percentage of females graduating from tertiary education from the engineering fields is below 30% for many Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Consequently, scientific work and technological innovation are missing women’s invaluable perspectives and critical contributions. According to a 2022 UNDP report on Women and Girls in Science and Technology, 30% of science professionals in Africa are women, and female enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses is rising. Globally, only 12% of the members of science academies are women and they comprise only a quarter (28%) of tertiary graduates in engineering and 40% of computer science graduates. In Africa, the share of women fellows of the African Academy of Sciences is only 17%, let me reiterate for emphasis, 17%”.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful also cited that, the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations, has carried out a study and it shows that, increasing women’s participation in STEM careers has the power to close the gender pay gap and boost women’s cumulative earnings by $299 billion over the next ten years, expediting global economic development. Thus, women’s participation in STEM fields could spur economic growth and promote gender equality worldwide
What can be done to improve the participation of our young ladies and working women in STEM
The Minister mentioned that, a recent survey commissioned by Microsoft, came out with the following 5 categories of action were needed to girls and women in STEM
- Provide role models. Girls and young women have a hard time picturing themselves in STEM roles. Seeing women who work in STEM and technology helps remind girls they have a place in these fields if they want it.
- Generate excitement. Girls want to be creative and have a positive impact on the world.
- Provide hands-on experience. Girls who participate in STEM clubs and activities outside of school are more likely to say they will pursue STEM subjects later in their education. We can bring the experiential learning that girls want into more classrooms.
- Provide encouragement. Girls who feel supported by teachers and parents show more interest in continuing with STEM in their future.
- Encourage a “growth mindset”. Girls are willing to work hard to succeed.
She stated the Ministry itself has been supporting the agenda with its Girls-in-ICT Initiative. Explaining that “this year marks 10 years since the Initiative was launched by the ITU and celebrated annually in Ghana. The ministry continues to encourage girls to pursue careers in the evolving, lucrative ICT industry and in recognition of the many more girls in deprived communities who need to be exposed to the Girls-In-ICT programme. This year with the collaboration of GIFEC, KACE and MTN, we trained 3,000 girls and 300 ICT Teachers in Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions. The training focuses on basic computer literacy and expose them to digital innovations to encourage their interest in ICT education”.
According to her, it was therefore gratifying to note that the Chamber was focusing on a more concerted effort aimed at ensuring that in the next 5 years the government of Ghana would achieve near parity when it comes to the gender distribution in the field of STEM in Ghana.
“I am committed and align with all policies directed at reducing the gender gap. I will encourage colleague Ministers and other state agencies to participate in this programme to ensure there is an equitable distribution of women so far as STEM is concerned. The Ministry puts much priority on Digital Skills as one critical pillar for the draft Digital Economy policy which is currently receiving inputs from stakeholders. I will encourage the drafting team to align S4LIS as one of the initiatives to be pursued in the strategies for implementation of the policy”, she emphasized.
