The female students are diving deep into technical fields and making tremendous impacts, challenging the status quo that the field is male dominated one.
During the international women’s day usually celebrated on March 8, every year, Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, (KCNP) celebrated women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields terming an alarming wake up call as an eye opener to female students.
The celebration themed; “For all women and girls: Accelerating action through TVET” was meant to promote sustainable development.
According to KCNP chief Principal, the female students are ready to fix any electronic fault that they lay on their hands, following various skills they acquire in their practical courses.
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From a young age, girls have often been exposed to stereotypes that suggest Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics fields, are more suited for boys.
Cultural narratives have also perpetuated the idea that women are less capable in these subjects leading many girls to internalize these beliefs and hence the gap we see today in the number of women in STEM careers.
Despite significant advancements in gender equality, many girls still shy away from pursuing STEM careers due to these persuasive stereotypes, inadequate support systems to encourage them to explore their interests in STEM and lack of visible role models, which also stems from the under-representation of women in STEM.
According to data provided by Engineers Board of Kenya, 30% of students in STEM fields are women. Even though the gender parity margin still huge, the Kenyan government is trying to bridge the gap by encouraging young women to engage in STEM subjects an initiative that aims to create a supportive environment where girl can dream big and achieve their ambitions in the tech fields.
This has shown more girls taking STEM courses in the current Universities and college enrollment. TVETs also show good numbers of female students flexing their muscles with their male counter parts in the field.
By Brian Ndigo
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