STEAM, GIRLS

AND WOMEN
STEAM, girls and women

STEAM, GIRLS AND WOMEN

- The situation of women in STEM studies

- Factors influencing participation

of women.

- Promoting women's interest in STEM

STEAM, girls and women

Situation of women and girls in the world

women
Throughout
suffer more
the world
inequality
and poverty.

Influencing factors:
Women and girls account for 60
- Social, cultural and - Income disparity percent of the people who are
political factors and wage gap. chronically hungry in the world

% 60

- Girls have less access - The double

to education. shift.

Source:
The World's Women
2015.
Trends and Statistics.
UN
STEAM, girls and women

Status of women and girls in STEM studies

Girls are left behind Girls lose In higher STEM There are important
very soon in STEM education, interest education, young differences in female
more and more women account for representation in STEM studies
from early childhood, in games
related to the theme.
between the first and only between countries, suggesting
last years of contextual factors
adolescence. 35 % .
worldwide.

In higher education, these differences go even

further.
PISA 2015:
The percentage of abandonment Women do not pursue Girls were three times more likely than
of STEM disciplines at STEM professions,
university and at work is boys to work in health-related
despite the time and energy
professions,
much higher in women. invested in their education.
while boys doubled the girls in seeing
themselves working in
Reasons: - Environment and
- Social allocation to engineering.
- Perception of women in family care. working
incompatibility with conditions.
female identity.

HEALTH ENGINEERING

Source:
"Decipher the code. The education of girls
and women in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM)".
UNESCO, 2019.
STEAM, girls and women -Situation of women and girls in STEM studies

Worldwide data

Significant gender differences in

higher education enrolment by area of
study.
100
90
80
Percentage of students

70
71 72 73
60 68
62 61
50 56 55 54
40 49 51 46
44 45
30 38 39
32
20 29 28 27
10
0
Education Health Art and Social Trade, Natural Services Agriculture, Information and Engineering,
and humanities sciences administration sciences, forestry, communication manufactur-
Wellness journalism and law mathematics fisheries technology ing and
and and statistics and construction
information veterinary
Women Men

Proportion of female and male students enrolled in tertiary education, by field

of study, world average

Source:
"Decipher the code. The education of girls and
women in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM)". UNESCO, 2019.
STEAM, girls and women -Situation of women and girls in STEM studies

Worldwide data

Only 30% of all students select STEM-related fields in

higher education.

STEM-related topics
Information and communication technology, natural
sciences, mathematics and statistics
Trade, administration and law %3
%5 Engineering, manufacturing and
construction
%8
%27
%15 Health and
Wellness
%14 %2
Education %4 Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
%11 %11 services

Social sciences, journalism and information

Art and humanities

Distribution of female students enrolled in higher education, by field of study, world average

Source:
"Decipher the code. The education of girls and women in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)". UNESCO, 2019.
 STEAM, girls and women -Situation of women and girls in STEM studies

Worldwide data

Most 15-year-old girls

who intend to pursue scientific careers
The gender gap is widening
expect to work as health professionals.
significantly among scientific
researchers.
Women 22 74 2 3
Men 48 24 20 8 100

100
90
0 10 20 30 40 50 70 80 90
60 80

Percentage of students
Percentage of students
70
Expectation to Expectation to Expectation to Expectation to
60
work as work as work as work as
science and health ICT technicians 50
engineering professionals. professionals. related to
40
professionals. science, or
associated 30
professionals.
20
Bachelor's degree, Master's Doctorate Researchers
Expectations of students in science careers (age 15), world average degree or equivalent or
level equivalent
level
Data source: PISA 2015 (OECD countries) 17 Women 2008 Men 2008
Women 2014 Men 2014

Proportion of women and men in higher education and

research, world average

Data source: UNESCO 2008-2014 11

STEAM, girls and women-Situation of women and girls in STEM studies

STEAM Vocations in the BAC

Gender gap in STEM careers:

Men Women Total
Number Number Number
Arts and human 2,328 38 % 3,868 62 % 6,196
sciences
Science 1,958 48 % 2,136 52 % 4,094
Health sciences 2,062 24 % 6,690 76 % 8,752
Social and legal 13,561 42 % 19,059 58 % 32,620
sciences
Engineering and 10,958 73 % 4,137 27 % 15,095
architecture
TOTAL 30,867 46 % 35,890 54 % 66,757
Students enrolled at universities in the Basque Autonomous
5
Community. 2012/2018
*Degrees, Master’s and Doctorates
4
PISA 2015
Source: Eustat.
3
ICT career intention:
2
4.8% of boys
1

0
0.4% of girls
GIRLS

According to PISA 2015 results,

4.8% of boys and 0.4% of girls aspire
to an ICT career.
STEAM, girls and women

Factors affecting participation of women and girls

Ecological framework of factors influencing
female participation, performance and
progression in STEM studies

Mass and
SOCIETY
Sex-disaggregated data for
social
the formulation
Legislation networks
policy
and

Gender
policies SCHOOL Social and
cultural
equality Teacher's
standards
policies perceptions
Teachers Quality of Gender
Equal pay Teacher-student teaching and Equality
legislation interactions experience in
FAMILY AND the field Inclusive
Student-
social
Student PEERS Household goods
Teaching
strategies standards
Interactions Parents' beliefs and supports
and expectations
STEM
and mothers STUDENT Textbooks
equipment, Family and
materials and characteristics teaching
Language and Personal materials
resources Peer-to- spatial skills effectiveness
peer
Psychologica relations Self-perception, Interest, Evaluation
l factors stereotypes and commitment, procedures
related to STEM identities motivation and and tools
evaluations enjoyment
STEAM, girls and women -Factors affecting participation of women and girls

Individual, family and peer factors

No neural Studies suggest growing FAMILY AND PEER FACTORS Parents' beliefs
differences in interest in STEM in girls' The role played by the family and its extensions and expectations
learning childhoods. in the attitude of girls towards STEM is also very
influence their
important.
children

according to
sex.

- The educational level - The degree of - Parents with traditional

and profession of the support at home. beliefs that treat girls and
boys unequally may
parents.
reinforce negative
stereotypes about STEM
skills.

- The socio-economic - The socio-cultural situation - Peers, especially women, also

- The expectations of influence girls' interest in
mothers have a great situation of the family family also
STEM.
influence on the girls' is associated with influences
career choices. better marks the future
in STEM. STEM of
the
children.
STEAM, girls and women -Factors affecting participation of women and
girls
School factors
SCHOOL FACTORS
i Breaking
THE TEACHERS down false
é
Positive influence
stereotypes
on GIRLS M

Role model
for girls

THE TEACHERS
It is critical to pay attention to gender dynamics in
Teachers' beliefs and attitudes have an
the classroom and school environment.
important effect on girls in STEM subjects.

Educational plans and materials need to have IMPROVING GIRLS' NEGATIVELY AFFECT
positive messages about women and girls, with INTEREST IN STEM: GIRLS IN STEM:
interesting themes, questions and practices. - Experiences - Gender bias.
- Real life STEM-related stereotypes.
STEAM, girls and women -Factors affecting participation of women and
girls
Social factors

Cultural and social

norms influence the
aspirations of girls.

In countries with more The measures to promote

gender equality, girls have gender equality:
- Fees
more positive attitudes
- Incentives
towards STEM.
- ...
increase female participation
in STEM.

Gender stereotypes in the

media affect children and
adults.
STEAM, girls and women

Promoting women's interest in STEM

Interventions that help increase girls'
and women's interest in and
commitment to STEM education.

SOCIETY
Policies Legislation

Political
Women's
leadership SCHOOL representation in
Teacher recruitment, Gender-sensitive STEM in the
Associations training and support classroom media
management
STEM equipment, Evaluation Promoting
materials and procedures gender
resources
FAMILY AND and tools equality
Parental PEERS Counteracting
involvement in STEM study
Psychological common
early learning programme
factors linked misconceptions
to assessment STUDENT based on
gender-
Early participation to Strengthening girls' Peer-to- sensitive
Dialogue
develop language, spatial self-confidence and peer research
between
and numerical skills personal effectiveness networks
Extra- parents and Tutoring
curricular children and role
Improving girls' Links to role
student models
motivation models
participation
Support for developing positive STEM identities
STEAM, girls and women-Promoting women's interest in STEM
Interventions at school and on social level
SCHOOL BUILDING "SCIENTIFIC MUSEUMS, CENTRES,
- Improving the system . IDENTITY" AMONG GIRLS CAMPS, TRIPS...
- Preparation of teachers, Better understanding of the concepts
- Explaining that science is scientists.
training, mixed FOR EVERYONE.
Learning
- Avoiding hierarchy of through
males. experience
- Involving girls in practical and practical
and theoretical attitudes activities.

- Experiences, laboratory,
VOCATIONAL computers, technology... Avoiding Providing
GUIDANCE negative professional
COUNSELLORS - Extracurricular activities. stereotypes guidance
- They can increase STEM with a
- Creating a safe
motivation gender
and relaxed
in girls. perspective.
atmosphere.
- They can collaborate with family,
friends and teachers.
- They can help with school INTERVENTIONS ON SOCIAL LEVEL
and family initiatives. More
SCHOLARSHIPS
Public policies Positive images of Creating
and legislation STEM women partnerships
STEAM, girls and women

Recommendations for teachers

Let's know our STEAM biases or if we We can
Let‘s strive to expect record a
We may apply unconscious biases
locate if we treat something video for
towards the students,
some of them in less from analysis.
a some
Different way,

...and that may hurt

someone.

Let's build Let‘s take advantage of the interests of the Let's group them in
trust students a different way
Showing We can build
confidence bridges between
in their your out-of-
abilities is school interests In STEM activities, let's offer them
positive for and STEM the opportunity to work with boys
learners. and girls from different
experiences,
backgrounds and languages.
We encourage students to express their ideas in a
different way: presentations, role-playing, drawings,
etc.
Let‘s present examples of STEM professionals Let's analyse news about
Let's show students STEM
examples of diversity,
avoiding the stereotype of
Prepare a short
the brilliant scientist. personal interview
Let's promote contact between students (motivations, etc).
And STEM professionals (if
Let's go over them with the students, taking
possible, not just white males), at
into account gender, diversity, etc.
school and at work