STEM Education for Women Empowerment

The gender ratio in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) related areas has always been low across the globe. To improve gender inclusivity, the STEM for Girls Programme implemented in Rural Areas of Govt schools since 2019 aims to encourage educating the girl students to explore the options of pursuing higher education in STEM-related courses. In 2020 STEM for Girls program was introduced in Assam in 63 government high schools of different rural areas. In this program the girls were empowered by encouraging them to pursue higher education and to choose STEM career paths instead of getting married at an early age and also try to build a STEM mindset among the students as well as the parents. After introducing the STEM for Girls program in Moirabari Girls High School, STEM classes are conducted two days in a week. The impact stories of girls participating in the program helps in understanding the challenges they overcome and the kind of change such an intervention creates. 

One such student is Afruja Begum of Moirabari Girls High School who lives in Moirabari village of Morigaon district  with her six siblings, among them four are her elder sisters and two are younger brothers. Prior to STEM for Girls she hesitated to talk to people, including her own father. She was anxious about her behaviour in a social group. Even when the teachers encouraged her to speak by asking her some things, she would look around in hesitation rather than speak up. On engaging her with a conversation about her future, it was evident that she was unsure of the kind of career she wanted to pursue. She had never thought about her plans after 10th grade. By attending STEM sessions Afruja got to engage in different kinds of activities, through which she started talking to her friends and to the teachers because of which she started improving her communication skill and confidence level, started being more aware about gender bias and different career paths that she can choose from. Her four elder sisters studied upto 9th standard and got married after that. Now she wants to pursue science after 10th and wants to be a nurse in the future. Her parents have also agreed to this because they also got to know the importance of education in their daughter’s life as they attended parents’ meetings. 

Her parents happily shared, “Earlier she did not talk that much at home especially with her father. She was always worried about her education and thought that she would be getting married soon like her elder sisters. Now she talks to us very confidently. She assured us that we should allow her to pursue higher studies and fulfill her dreams. Our four elder daughters are just 8th passed and got married at a very early age but now we are so happy by observing so many skills in our daughter Afruja and we are going to support her dream to be a nurse. We are proud of her that she will be the first girl child in our family who will pursue higher studies”. 

The teachers of the school are pleased that STEM for girls is helping the students in a true manner and every topic in this curriculum is equally important for every student’s day to day life as well as for parents.