Society urged to maximise women�s participation in sciences
Lindiwe Mozola | Tuesday July 25, 2017 15:59
Mpuchane said this when delivering a public Lecture held at Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST) under the theme ‘Maximising women’s participation in STEM’.
She said despite the fact that women are the most educated compared to their male counterparts there is little representaion of wowen in STEM.
“Statistics shows that only 28% of women are employed in science fields however, they are just in government research centres doing the theory part, not many are in the industry where conditions such as remuneration packages are much better,” she said.
Mpuchane revealed that there are stereotypes set to make a girl child believe that she is not fit to be in the science industry.
She said that they are also discriminated by their male counterparts who often feel they can do much better in the science field compared to them. Family obligations, socio cultural diversities, wrong advice and terrible attitudes to name but a few are also said to be some of the factors that contribute to a shortage supply of women in STEM.
Mpuchane said they observed during school visits that female students have little interest in science because their parents told them science is for boys.
“This is very sad because we as the society we plant a seed in our girls that they are only fit to be follower not a leader. Lack of motivation from both teachers and parents is what plants the doubtful seed in our female children who will grow up knowing that science is not for them. And this is visible by the number of female engineers we have in the country and I must tell you students that this is where the money is,” she said.
Mpuchane said the few women who are in the industry are often sidelined and subjected to abuse by their male counterparts.
Professor added: “There should also be a lot of trainining for female teachers that are already in the field so that they become role models to the girls because if there is someone they can look up to it will encourage them. Furthermore, engage the societies at large to make them aware of the role played by science in their lives and with women who contribute to a large share of the populations participate in STEM fully how it will transform the economy of the country”.
BIUST Professor Dennis Siginer shared same sentiments as Mpuchane saying that gender imbalance is a worldwide problem and however, commended Botswana for the tremendous strides in education since independence although STEM still looms in the background.