2
Enhancing access to education opportunities for female students In order to enable girls and women to pursue an interest in studying chemistry, they need to have access to education opportunities. The proximity of educational facilities where Chemistry is taught to residential areas was identified by 21% of respondents as an important enabling factor. In certain conservative contexts, this gender-specific factor can be a prerequisite for receiving families’ endorsement and support to pursue an education in Chemistry and beyond. Focus group responses further revealed that this trend is associated with cultural, religious and social norms. For instance, one participant noted that the availability of distinct female-only educational facilities can increase women’s opportunities to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the field. In Pakistan, “Fatima Jinnah Women” is one example of a university that offers undergraduate chemistry courses for women.
13
