Engendering Access to STEM Education and Careers in South Asia

Investments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pay rich dividends to countries at every stage of development—especially if they educate diverse groups, champion inclusiveness and foster opportunities and advancement, especially of women.

STEM skills and experiences are not only integral to building South Asia’s STEM workforce for research and other higher-value jobs, but also critical to developing new products, scientific and technical knowledge and ideas.

Engendering Access to STEM Education and Careers in South Asia aims to improve the understanding of barriers to access and participation in STEM in South Asia. The report also proposes recommendations to enable more South Asian girls and women to participate in STEM:

(a) Five key opportunities to foster inclusion and enrollment in STEM education – and staunch the “leaky pipeline” -- at the upper primary, lower and upper secondary, and tertiary education levels, and during the early career years,

(b) A strong pathway from STEM education to career as it depends on an integrated, systematic approach that motivates students to pursue STEM fields, builds STEM skills, and removes barriers to diversity, and

(c) Preparing a critical mass of semiskilled and skilled STEM migrant workers as having cross-border value, especially for workers migrating from smaller to larger economies, since there is migration of workers between countries in South Asia.

Main Findings

• The report finds that in South Asia, few girls and women enroll in science programs and technical education in secondary and tertiary schools. There is potential for more. Across the region, around 75% of STEM students in college and university are male.
• Gender disparities prevail in the STEM labor force. Women are underrepresented in STEM professions such as engineering and information technology and often do not hold senior positions in STEM industries.
• Policy interventions and cultural shifts will be needed to bring greater balance to gender representation in STEM and other career fields. Potential solutions include providing support for female STEM students in the form of scholarships and internships.
• Corporate initiatives that provide access to childcare, maternity and family leave policies and targeted training and mentoring for women could facilitate greater women’s participation in the STEM workforce.