Girls in STEM: Celebrating gains and tackling challenges

In 2004, when Beatrice Nshizirungu decided to pursue physics and mathematics in high school, studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) was still perceived to be mainly for boys. Nshizirungu studied at Groupe Scolaire Kabare in Ngoma District and her class of 57 students had only 11 girls. ALSO READ: Girls excel in STEM courses “Girls back then were encouraged to study subjects that were perceived to be less hard than science and mathematics,” she says, “and even boys thought that the girls were the ones to get the lowest grades.” She says that some of her female classmates dropped out of school or had to embark on other subjects due to the stereotypes. ALSO READ: What must be done to enroll more girls in STEM Now a physics teacher at Kayonza Modern School, in Kayonza District, Nshizirungu, 38, says she takes pride in teaching a class of more girls than boys. In a Physics, Chemistry and Biology (PCB) class she teaches, girls make over 50 percent of all students. “The girls are as competitive as boys, and they tend to get the highest grades,” she says. “That shows that the efforts by the government and other stakeholders to empower women and girls are starting to bear fruit.” But there is still more work to do before other science classes can reflect a similar picture. A 2022 survey, co-conducted by Rwanda Association of Women in Science and Engineering (RAWISE), showed that in Kayonza District, on average male students expressed stronger preferences for STEM subjects in high school than females. ALSO READ: How Rwandan women in science are empowering girls In general, women are still underrepresented in STEM subjects. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), in 2020, 66% of male students and 51% of female students in Advanced secondary education were enrolled in STEM programs (as a total, across general, technical, and vocational education), In tertiary education, 51% of male students and 32% of female students were enrolled in STEM fields. ALSO READ: Teachers key in boosting women uptake in science - activists “It is important to have more girls join STEM subjects, because today science is everywhere,” Prof Sam Yala, the president of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) centre in Rwanda, said on Saturday, February 11, in Nyanza District at the celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science. “There are a lot of innovations today, and the world needs more people who are trained in mathematics, and science in general,” Yala said. “So, celebrating this day, specifically for girls, stresses the need for more both girls and boys in science. When more girls get to learn from women scientists as their role models, it motivates them and encourages them to embrace STEM subjects.” Since 2018, AIMS Rwanda has trained 4,900 teachers (33% women) gender-responsive teaching methods, in its Teacher Training Programme, sponsored by Mastercard Foundation. The programme, implemented in 14 districts, also addresses the stereotypes that discourage girls from pursuing mathematics and science subjects and has reached over 275,000 students (60 percent girls). Schools and teachers also are supported to get science kits and computers for the students to practice. ALSO READ: Girls shine in Ordinary Level exam results Ange Amizero, a student of Mathematics, Physics and Geography (MPG) at École Secondaire du Saint Esprit in Nyanza District, chose to pursue the course after a relative encouraged her. “Unlike in the past years, when girls were discouraged to join sciences, today we have so many people who constantly remind us that girls are capable of making great things,” Amizero says. She wants to become a scientist when she finishes her studies. The number of girls joining STEM subjects has been growing over the years, thanks to multiple efforts from institutions like the Ministry of Education, Ferdinand Turacyayisenga, a science teacher at College du Christ-Roi in Nyanza District, said. “Even teaching has become easier because we get materials and equipment for science subjects. And as a teacher, I feel proud when I meet some of my female students who have become engineers and doctors. One can wish to see more of them; and the country is definitely on the right track towards realising that.”

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Girls in STEM: Celebrating gains and tackling challenges