STEM 101: Empowering the Next Generation of Girls

Published: 23 August 2024

The term STEM is a way of grouping together the related disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Although each sector is highly distinct from each other, they tend to fall under the same category of technical subjects as opposed to Arts and Humanities.

STEM fields and the careers that stem from each (pun not intended) are undoubtedly one of the many valuable foundations that ensure the stability of our society and its progression. One can’t even imagine what the world would be like without Engineers or Scientists!

In this blog, we will display an overview of the STEM sector, the gender gap in STEM fields, the current day challenges that women in these fields face, and how OK Youth! tackles this issue with our most recent project, STEM Voices of Tomorrow, funded by the City of Toronto.

STEM IN A NUTSHELL

The STEM acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—fields that drive innovation and problem-solving.

🔬 Science involves the pursuit of knowledge to understand the natural and social world through observation and experimentation. It includes areas like Physical Sciences (chemistry, physics), Earth Sciences (geology, hydrology), and Life Sciences (biology, genetics).
💻 Technology focuses on developing electronics, software, AI, and more, with careers such as software developers and data analysts becoming increasingly important, especially post-pandemic.
🛠 Engineering uses science and maths to design systems and structures, balancing creativity with practical constraints like safety and budget. Fields include chemical, software, and biomedical engineering.
📐 Mathematics is about understanding numbers, logic, and relationships, applying these to solve real-world problems in roles like mathematicians, statisticians, and economists. Together, these fields emphasize progress, critical thinking, and practical solutions.

Current Day Outlook

The growth of technological advancements brings the need for experts who understand the complexities of their fields and can carry out tasks as needed. Despite such high demands, many specialized fields face a shortage of qualified professionals. To address this issue and to remain competitive in the global market, both the Canadian and U.S. governments have invested into youth programs that encourage STEM education. A brilliant example is the Let’s Talk Science foundation, which was provided with $28.5 million in funding by the Government of Canada to deliver “programming that builds early STEM skills and interest in STEM careers”.

Many of these initiatives also encourage women and individuals from racialized backgrounds to pursue industries that are traditionally male-dominated.

With less than 25% women working in STEM fields, the sector unfortunately remains male dominated in Canada. This trend has been apparent since the 1970’s, when women only made up about 8% of the STEM workforce. Although the number of women entering STEM fields increased over the years, progress has been slow, and the gender gap remains significant opposed to other industries. As mentioned above, STEM fields are in high demand and are crucial for each country to remain competitive in the global market and to drive technological progress in our society.

Being a Woman in STEM Comes with Its Challenges

Let’s talk about the 25% of women working in STEM—even when they manage to break into STEM jobs, women still face barriers and challenges that impact their work. Examples include:

Gender sTereotypes

A belief rooted in early education is that STEM fields are inherently masculine. This stereotype carries into the workforce. In a 2021 study with female professionals, participants stated that they had to put in a lot of mental energy into their mannerism and communication in order to mitigate biases and stereotypes in the workplace.

“BOY’S CLUB” CULTURe

The scarce attendance of women who study or work in STEM causes STEM environments to be exclusionary and unsupportive of women. Many participants from the same study stated that they often felt isolated and excluded by their male colleagues.

Immigrant Status

Immigrant women face additional challenges upon existing ones mentioned above, such as lack of accessible information on career pathways, issues of pay equity, recognition, and promotion. Immigrant women stated that they had struggled to re-attain their levels of seniority and responsibility from the time prior to their move to Canada. Those who trained internationally especially experienced high underemployment rates.

While the lack of information on career pathways scarcity pose significant challenges for women, there is a growing recognition of these issues, and efforts are being made to address them. By increasing awareness and providing more mentorship opportunities, we can inspire and support young girls. We can ensure they have the resources and encouragement needed to pursue their interests in STEM!

Which brings us to our project…

STEM VOICes of Tomorrow

Our 2023-24 high school fellowship cohort at OK Youth! discovered a shared passion for STEM programs during our conversations about university goals. With graduation approaching, we are reflecting on our dreams and passions, and considering how postsecondary education will help us achieve the careers we aspire. Coming from underserved communities, we recognize that STEM fields are often viewed through a controversial lens—challenged by societal expectations and accessibility. Yet, we are determined to break barriers and pursue these fields, knowing they hold the potential to transform not just our futures, but also our communities.

The project STEM Voices of Tomorrow is our way of making this happen.

Between the months of August and September, we are engaging middle school girls identifying as Middle Eastern and Muslim in STEM fields through a series of events – all while harnessing the power of technology! We are conducting workshops at Humber College – Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation’s state-of-the-art laboratories on mechatronics, sphero and robotics, leading fun presentations on STEM fields, offering girls training in creative media, and having them conduct interviews with wonderful women working in STEM fields!

Sneak Peek

We are very excited to conduct our first interview this Saturday with Meryam Elkhalaf, who is a recent nuclear engineering graduate from Ontario Tech University, currently working at Aecon Group as a Project Coordinator! Stay tuned for 13 September, where our conversations will be released as a podcast and a Youtube series on our socials!

From the day it was founded, OK Youth! has always embraced a vision of empowerment, whether for disadvantaged children seeking more from life, or for talented youth bravely stepping beyond the barriers set before them. By raising awareness and providing young girls with opportunities like workshops and educational programs, OK Youth! aims to empower them to thrive in areas they were once discouraged from.