For more Girls and Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
What is the NiñaSTEM Programme ?
The NiñaSTEM Programme is an OECD effort to increase the number of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), while tackling discriminatory gender stereotypes in education. The initiative includes activities with a gender perspective to awaken girls’ interest in STEM and raise awareness among the educational community and policy-makers on the negative impact the transmission of discriminatory gender stereotypes has on girls’ career choices and labour market perspectives. NiñaSTEM supports countries through studies, workshops, conferences, and motivational talks, while enhancing the public-private sector partnership in LAC.
Why do we need more Girls in STEM?
In LAC labour markets, women are more often employed in relatively low- paid sectors. Women are under-represented in STEM field sectors that lead to more lucrative careers which are often perceived as traditionally masculine, deepening the persisting gender pay gap that keeps women and girls in a disadvantaged position. Here are some concrete data:
• The gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engeneering and Mathematics) graduates is significant in several OECD and LAC countries. On average in LAC, men represent almost three times the number of women in these fields (30.4% against 11.7%). Stronger disparities in gender are found in Chile, Mexico and Colombia: 31.8, 23.7 and 21 percentage points respectively (OECD, 2022 forthcoming).
Gender gaps in the share of graduates in STEM subjects (%), 2019 or last year
Source: OECD Education at a Glance and UNESCO Institute for Statistic Database (UNESCO institute for statistics)
• Results from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) signal that during their teenage years, girls may have already developed a disposition towards highly feminised careers in the areas of health, welfare and humanities, rather than STEM. Because of persisting social norms and stereotypes, girls often shy away from STEM careers.
NiñaSTEM: An OECD Programme launched in Mexico in 2017
• 2017: The OECD and the Government of Mexico jointly launched the NiñaSTEM Programme: a network of female role models to promote the STEM spirit among girls and young women.
• 2017–2020: Development stage with the organisation of conferences by the NiñaSTEM mentors and immersion workshops carried out with the support of corporate sponsors (such as Google and Lego Education, Microsoft, IBM and Mastercar) and committed to the empowerment of girls and women. This phase allowed, in particular, to explore how NiñaSTEM could benefit from the contributions of different actors from the public, private, academic and civil society sectors.
• 2020-2021: Due to the pandemic, NiñaSTEM adapted to the virtual environment, revealing the opportunities of expanding its impact.
• 2021-2022: After the pilot tests of the NinaSTEM female mentorship programme included into the school programmes with the support of the Federal Educational Authority of Mexico City, a hybrid implementation model (face-to-face and remote) was launched with the State of Coahuila in 2021. This initiative involves a wide range of stakeholders including students, mentors, teachers, managers and university researchers, parents, and academic institutions. Interactive chat sessions with Mentors are followed by a classroom feedback session with a reference teacher. Parents, other students, or education officials are invited to participate in activities or discussions during events or special sessions. The coordination model between the different academic and administrative divisions of the Ministry of Education makes it robust and replicable, to be adapted and strengthened in other countries of the region. As of 2023 this programme has impacted more than 250 000 girls in the State of Coahuila.
• 2022-2023: Building upon Mexico’s request, the OECD started leveraging the OECD Latin American and the Caribbean Regional Programme (LACRP) to expand this initiative to other countries in the region.
• 2023: Thanks to the support of VISA Inc. and in the interest of increasing the impact of the initiative, the NiñaSTEM Programme developed teacher training material to raise awareness among primary and secondary education teachers on STEM and gender stereotypes in education.
SCALING UP THE PROJECT TO OTHER LAC COUNTRIES
After local launches in Mexico City in 2017 and in the state of Coahuila in 2021, in an initial stage of scaling up the NiñaSTEM project to other countries, the project proposes to focus on OECD LAC member countries (Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica) and prospective member countries (Peru, Argentina and Brazil). The participating countries will be defined in agreement with the respective national authorities. Upon request, this initiative will remain open to other interested countries from the region.
OBJECTIVES
Empowering girls to enter STEM education and thrive in those fields by:
1. Fostering a comprehensive approach to raise awareness among teachers, parents and students of discriminative gender stereotypes and roles that discourage girls and young women from pursuing STEM careers.
2. Connecting girls and successful women in STEM careers in order to awaken their enthusiasm for these areas of potential career development.
3. Facilitating a dialogue on the formulation of public policies aimed at tackling gender stereotypes and promoting interest in STEM among girls.
PARTNERSHIPS
The NiñaSTEM project is an OECD-led public-private sector initiative. Partnerships with tech companies, foundations, academia and civil ociety have demonstrated their efficiency on the ground The initiative remains open for other partners to join and support its regionalisation
CONTACT POINTS: OECD GLOBAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION DIRECTORATE FOR LAC
José Antonio Ardavin
Head of Division Sofia Blamey Andrusco Policy Analyst/ Gender SpecialistE-mail: jose-antonio.ardavin@oecd.org
Phone: +(33-1) 45 24 17 83
E-mail: sofia.blameyandrusco@oecd.org
Phone: +(33-1) 85 55 64 03