Women make for 35 pc STEM graduates globally; maths, gender stereotypes major reasons: UNESCO

WOMEN make for only 35 per cent of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates globally with no significant progress made in last decade, according to UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team which has flagged low confidence in mathematics and negative gender stereotypes as major reasons behind the trend.

- GUNJAN SHARMA

The team which analyses the development and trends in education sector across the globe pointed out that the digital transformation is led by men and women constitute only 26 per cent of workforce in data and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"Critical data from 2018-23 shows that women made up only 35 per cent of STEM graduates globally, with no progress over the past 10 years. Part of this can be explained by the fact that girls’ confidence in mathematics appears to be knocked early, even when they perform well. Part of it can be explained by negative gender stereotypes that also prevent women from pursuing STEM careers," a member of GEM team told PTI.