The Vice Chancellor, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Delta, Prof. Ibiyinka Fuwape says mentoring is critical to addressing females’ under-representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.
Fuwape made this known in an interview in Abuja on Monday.
According to her, factors that would increase females’ representation in STEM careers include enhanced educational facilities and teachers’ capacity building.
She said that the under-representation in STEM fields was discouraging among girls and inimical to national development.
“The statistics could be 45 to 49 for girls and 55 for boys; it is in the hard sciences like Physics, Mathematics, Engineering that the gaps exist.
“The problem is that there is this cultural belief that STEM fields are difficult and a female brain is inferior to a male brain, and this is not true.
“The female brain is not inferior, it is just putting that girl in the right place to thrive and she will excel,” the vice chancellor said.
Fuwape attributed the challenge to parenting and inadequate female role models in STEM jobs.
“The problem starts from raising the children. When we raise the boys, we give them toy cars, toy aeroplanes, technical toys and give dolls or kitchen sets to the girls.
“We are indirectly telling that girl that your role is to cater for children and go to the kitchen.
“The way we bring up our children is also very wrong and from childhood we register it indirectly into their minds. We should give both sexes the same level of upbringing,” she said.
The VC called on stakeholders to identify measures that would increase females’ participation in hard STEM careers for sustainable development.
She also called on government at all levels to ensure that all factors hindering girl-child education were addressed.
NAN
