Science and technology fascinate more and more girls, and yet women who choose a career in STEM are still a minority. The latest data published in a study conducted by Ipsos for Save the Children and published on February 11 on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science shows that gender stereotypes continue to prevail in the atmosphere. however, some professions are more suitable for men and less for women. More than half of them (54%) would be interested or at least intrigued by science subjects, but in 2021, only 22% of girls at university have taken a STEM course.
Resistance to change, dictated by prejudice and family stereotypes, which are manifested from childhood in the choice of toys, colors of clothes and even in reading, restrains and curbs the ambitions of all those little girls – and there are many of them – who dream of becoming women scientists, astronauts, engineers, programmers. However, there are some signs of change, if this is true, as it is true that compared to recent years the number of enrollments in IT and ICT technology courses increased, recording +15.74% among women. “Awareness of their value and the contribution they can make to science is growing among girls and boys in Italy and around the world,” she explains. Sole24Ore Raffaela Milano, director of the Italian-European program Save the Children, ma the gender gap is very present and it is rooted, from the first cycles of education, in today’s widespread stereotypes that would like girls to have little inclination towards scientific subjects and that nip their talents in the bud.
Unrealized talents, curbed ambitions, passions directed to other disciplines such as the humanities, where, unfortunately, employment rates and pay conditions are much lower. “Gender equality, even in science, is critical”, – insists Raffaella Milano, – according to which the resources allocated by Pnrr for gender equality represent a unique opportunity to strive to achieve the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda. To reduce this inequality, it is necessary to review training plans and increase investment to encourage participation in the scientific world, where girls can and should make a difference.
According to Save The Children, girls in Italy are realizing how much they can contribute to scientific challenges in the next 10 years. In fact, 34% of teenagers believe that population aging is the most important challenge, followed by sustainable energy production (for 31% of those surveyed) and reducing pollutant emissions (27%). Apparently, it is unthinkable to exclude girls from the scientific and economic future of the country just because women are already part of this future and, as someone sang, “how can a rock block the sea?”.
Source: Elle