“I believe in staying strong even when all the odds are in my favour.” – This is what every girl says as she keeps progressing and working to achieve her goal.

Over centuries, it has been witnessed how girls have put all the odds aside, worked hard and continued achieving in various fields such as arts, science and technology, management, information technology, and sales and marketing.

Let’s today talk about one such field called ‘STEM’ that stands together for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that are the various associated fields. This is an interdisciplinary approach that takes into account learning and problem-solving approaches by integrating the concepts and skills derived from these four disciplines. STEM revolves around hands-on, inquiry based learning experiences that encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and innovation.

Our female professionals have made us proud by serving in various fields of STEM in all these years. Some of them are Seetha Coleman-Kammula, the founder of Simply Sustain, a firm that focuses on industrial ecology; Dr. Indira Hinduja, who pioneered gamete intrafallopian transfer technique; Nandini Harinath, deputy operations director on the Mars Orbiter Mission; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Biocon Limited; and Sudha Murthy, chairperson of Infosys Foundation to name a few.

Taking inspiration from all these females who have made huge contributions in the growth and well-being of our country, all other girls today can also be encouraged to pursue STEM as careers which will help them to address societal, cultural and educational barriers.

Let’s find out how educators can help in introducing STEM as career to young girls. Educators are individuals who are involved in teaching students at various levels and in helping them succeed in their lives. These educators can be teachers, professors, mentors, facilitators, tutors or trainers who play a critical role in the social, emotional, moral and intellectual development of students.

Let’s understand how educators play a pivotal role in inspiring girls to take up STEM as career.

• The foremost step the educators can take in this direction is to provide exposure to the girls from very young age through hand-on activities, workshops and STEM-related toys. This is important as the girls develop interest in these fields and become confident.
• The educators can tell the girls about all the successful women in the fields of STEM who will act as role models for the girls. This will help them to realise their potential and work towards achieving their goals.
• In this journey of letting the girls have an understanding of STEM, one more important step the educators need to look into is to challenge any kind of biases and stereotypes that might stop them from pursuing their career in the fields of STEM. The girls should be encouraged to challenge themselves and pursue their interests keeping all the odds aside.
• It is vital for educators to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for girls so that they are comfortable to express their ideas and clear their doubts and queries.
• The educators need to tell the girls about the real-world applications of STEM and how they can play a significant role in solving global challenges. An awareness about current events and issues in various fields of STEM needs to be stressed on every now and then.
• The educators can connect the girls with female professionals serving in different STEM fields. The professionals can help in providing the much needed support, guidance and encouragement. The girls can also be told about various programs that they can join to help them in navigating their career paths in the fields of STEM.
• The educators must provide the girls an access to required resources such as books, online courses, hands-on activities, technology and tools to allow them to explore and experiment the STEM concepts in detail.

In order to help the girls, achieve the success in the fields of STEM, educators are their guiding lights who can hold hands and show them right paths. The educators are the ones who can help them overcome their challenges and fears to achieve their gaols.

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Akanksha Dudpuri

Akanksha Dudpuri (M.Tech in Biotechnology) is a highly accomplished professional with a strong academic background and over ten years of experience in the field of publishing. She possesses a wide-ranging expertise in content development and editing. and works on diverse subjects across the publishing spectrums. She has authored and edited numerous books for various subjects.