Although women have made significant contributions to science, these have sadly not received the recognition they deserve, said an advocate of women in science leadership.

To commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Feb. 12, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) held a forum where female leaders reiterated calls to "strengthen" the roles of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Senior Officer of the Science and Technology Division at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat and champion for women in science, Dr. Vanny Narita, said it is time to "break barriers" and establish "equal" opportunities for everyone.

"Women have always been involved in the STEM fields in the beginning of time, but their contributions have not been recognized as significant," she said.

Citing data from the International Labor Organization (ILO), Narita noted that wage gaps existed between 2014 and 2021, with women in STEM earning less than men across ASEAN, including the Philippines.

She added that women are "underrepresented" in making policies in STEM, as there are mostly men ministers and secretaries for Science, Technology, and Innovation.

ASEAN women in STEM

In terms of primary and secondary education, data from the 2022 Economic Forum show that girls outperform boys in mathematics and science in five ASEAN member-states.

It also shows that while women in ASEAN comprise a larger majority of the technology workforce than the global average, their participation could still be improved in leadership roles.

“Only a small percentage of tech start-ups have female founders or co-founders in ASEAN,” Narita said, quoting the study ‘Half the Sky 2022’.

'Breaking barriers'

The women leaders also pointed out that the underrepresentation of women in STEM is not just a historical injustice, it is also a present-day problem that has shown significant consequences.

Thus, DOST called for equal opportunities for women in STEM to address the "persistent gender gap.”

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/2/12/women-underrepresented-in-stem-need-equal-opportunities-dost

Jackie Lyn Guevara, one of the advocates and speakers encouraged Filipino women to overcome barriers to achieve success in STEM.

Guevara is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate in Crop and Soil Science and a research assistant at Michigan State University.

Currently, she is involved in the research and development of football fields in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

She shared that during their visit to the stadium, they noticed that the stadium's grass differed from that used in the United States and Europe.

"We became resourceful, we grew the type of grass we desired, and the ratio and type of grass we used inside the stadium were the result of my dissertation," she said.

As a result, the same grass will be used for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 to meet their mandate of natural grass playing surfaces, where they will need to design turf-grass systems that can be temporarily installed inside the stadium and remain playable for up to 60 days.

Aside from the in-site visits and grass-growing, Guevara also shared that many of their research projects are collaborations with various stadium managers in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“I was glad because I have a seat at that table, representing us women,” she shared.

“Kasi konti, ang hirap talagang ma-break yung barriers sa industry na ‘to (It is hard to break the barriers in this industry (STEM),” she added.

Guevara also mentioned that they had workshops and talks about the research in various parts of the United States.

“Right now, I am giving multiple talks so that stadium managers know what is going on in the FIFA World Cup 2026 research," she said.

Moreover, she believed that women have a lot to offer in the world of science.

Given this, as she concluded her speech, she advised everyone to prioritize self-care, look for opportunities, be courageous, and find a mentor.

Supporting women, girls in STEM

Ronna Reyes-Sieh, a board member of the Philippine Science and Technology Development Foundation Manila Inc., said studies show that girls show interest in STEM at the age of 10, but it fades by the age of 15.

"We have a small window to really address this, and if we want to increase the pipeline, we have to focus when they are young," Sieh said.

Moreover, she talked about how women are burdened with responsibilities, which include taking care of children and their parents, leading the foundation to offer training and jobs related to technology.

"If we believe that technology is the bridge to advancement, then the builders of the bridge should be diverse," she said.