Education, Science and the Woman: SHADE-IN's Perspectives on Three 2019 UN Days

 

So, SHADE-IN joined Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) on 8th March, 2019 with the rest of the world to celebrate International Women's Day at the 7th LAPO Outstanding Women Leadership Award 2019 at Edo Heritage Hotel, Benin City.

With the recognition of three women in the Professional, Public Life and Business categories respectively, who stood out against all odds with over 10 years of consistency, it was a worthwhile event.

There are many other likes of the awardees: Dame Professor Christiana Okojie, Mrs. Eucharia Asikaralu Okafor and Mrs. Oserhebhen Ehehiremen Sarah, who have greater potentials to be outstanding not for bad but for good.

Yes, that woman may just be in that little girl or baby girl. Let's invest in the child and strike a balance on both gender - male or female. The girl child should be given care according to her uniqueness.

For instance, decent toilets with running water should be provided in public places for girls.

In SHADE-IN, we advocate for quality education for the child who will grow into an outstanding man or woman. Quality education is preferable than free education with very poor quality.

Maybe, the government may need to redefine what is free education?

This year, very salient international days have come and gone with each emphasing its unique message.

As concerns our work, the first international day of education held on January, 24, 2019. 

By proclaiming the International Day of Education, UN member states recognized the importance of working to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels – so that all people may have access to lifelong learning opportunities that help them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to access opportunities to participate fully in society and contribute to sustainable development - UN

Again, Every year, on 11th February, the United Nations (UN) marks a day for women and girls in science. This year's celebration was tagged, "Investment in women and girls in science for inclusive green growth”.

Commemorating the 4th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the United Nations in collaboration with other agencies and organisations organised a two-day forum at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States from 11th – 12th February, 2019.  The Forum provided a first of its kind opportunity for policy-makers and women in science experts to propose an international framework and action plan for Investment in Science for Inclusive Green Growth. 

Some questions were raised during the Parallel Panel session of the Forum Titled ”Girls in Science for Sustainable Development: Vision to Action”. The questions include: How can we improve science education around the world? What resources or opportunities would be effective in achieving this goal? And how can we use technology to improve science education and opportunities for students around the world? What is the importance of STEM for girls and women for economic growth and how do we encourage and implement this? What role does science and technology play in reducing poverty around the world? What is being done in your communities to solve the SDGs in this respect? Has it been effective? Why or why not? Would it be effective in other countries? What are some issues you or people you know face in your country in relation to these concerns?

All of these questions are addressed in the write-up below, drawn from the concept paper on the 2019 International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

It is no news that science, research and innovation play vital enabling roles in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in transforming society’s prosperity and economy.   The challenges facing the world’s countries – its prosperity and economy, creativity, exchange, equity, and opportunity – will be met only if increased investment in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) is met. Scientists contribute greatly to the economic health and wealth of a nation.

However, worldwide, the levels of participation in science and technology in school and in post-school education have fallen short of the expectations of policy-makers and the needs of business, industry, or government. Most of the research carried out by scientists are not implemented by policy makers and most of the research carried out end up in scientific or academic journals that are available only to the scientific or academic community. 

Quite a number of research are not applicable to real life situations and some research figures are falsified. These are some of the reasons why policy makers and the government find it difficult implementing research recommendations. 

There needs to be a bridge between research and implementation. This is the only way that development and innovation can exist especially in developing countries.

Considering how science education provides us with a scientifically adept society, one ready to understand, critique and mold the future of research, as well as, serve as an integral part of feeding into the pipeline for future scientists, it is worrisome to find reasons why young people decide not to study science and technology. 

Furthermore, while science and technology play vital roles in today’s global economy and level the playing field among various demographics, young people particularly girls are turning away from science subjects. This begs the question as to whether or not the sciences are difficult in content and application or that girls think that there is inequality and intense competition with their male counterparts in scientific work places or whether young people see science as abstract and hence cannot relate it to their daily lives or that most young people especially in schools are taught only theoretical science and not the practical and hence find STI (Science Technology and Innovation) or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) difficult to understand.

The objectives of this Forum was therefore to (1) harness the strategies, expertise and resources across the broadest spectrum of policy-makers, professionals, civil society and the private sector (2) to move investment in women and girls in science for inclusive green growth into the mainstream discourse, and (3) to identify implementation gaps and co-create action plans.

Issues considered in the Forum include: (1) Understanding Investment in women in science for inclusive green growth through capacity building, cooperation and data governance (gap in statistics, data to address policy concern, stakeholder coordination, data sharing/ exchange, etc.)
(2) Promoting Integrated Policies for Investment in Inclusive Science for Achieving Implementation of the 2030 Agenda through a “One UN” lens. (3) Framework that aims to ensure women capture at least 30% of the world’s resources to be created through implementation of Agenda 2030 to bring balance to decision making and power with purpose, creativity, and compassion.

To grow the number of inventions, increase the supply of inventors, develop the necessary skills that will be in demand in the economy of tomorrow, STEM training must be made a priority for all females around the world.  STEM strengthens critical-thinking skills, fosters collaboration and prioritizes problem-based learning, which drives innovation, the fuel for economic success. Based on research for the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institute, women are underrepresented throughout the innovation pipeline. 

Women earn 57 percent of all college degrees, but only 35 percent of STEM degrees.  As such, females represent only 22 percent of the STEM workforce and just 16 percent of patent holders. In contrast, according to the World Bank, females who are included in the formal labor force tend to pursue work in public administration, education and social work.  Nothing matters more for progress, strong sustainable economies and quality living standards than innovation. 

According to the Equality of Opportunity Project, tapping into the currently underused potential capacity of females and other minorities can unlock more innovation than is realized.

Women organisations like Ellevate Network, Global Summit of Women, International Federation of Business, Professional Women, Vital Voices, WEConnect and Womensphere, are just a few of the many organisations successfully helping women around the world retool themselves and access economic opportunities.  However, despite their progress, most women still cannot access enough STEM skills, productive assets like financial capital, and networks to capitalize on their knowledge and build wealth.  

The Role of Science Education

”To achieve sustainable development throughout the world, education policy makers need to allocate high priority and considerable resources to the teaching of science and technology in a manner that allows students to learn science in a way that is practiced and experienced in the real world by real scientists and engineers.

Furthermore, to accomplish this goal, sustained support is needed to increase and improve teacher training and professional learning for STEM educators.

By meeting these two needs, we can better accomplish the ultimate aim which is to educate the scientists, technologists, technicians, and leaders on whom future economic development is perceived to depend over a sustained period of time. 

Reforming the science curriculum to promote learning science the way it is practiced and experienced in the real world by real scientists and engineers. Providing quality and prepared teachers for every child to include increasing the number of women and other underrepresented demographic role models for students”

SHADE-IN is bridging these gaps through her programme: Heal The Foundation Project, Changed Teachers Conference, Teenagers Choice Conference and The Divergence. In addition, SHADE-IN’s work at Aba-Ebira community in Ekiti State has helped increased the enthusiasm of the girls towards education up to post-secondary level. This was not the case before SHADE-IN’s work in the community. She has been able to achieve this through the extra-mural classes she organises for the students.

List of some female scientists from the 20th Century till date that have made meaningful contribution to the field of Science and Technology:

Marie Curie (1867-1934). She is a Polish French Chemist that pioneered radiology and discovered polonium and radium. She had a Nobel prize in Physics in 1903 and a Nobel prize in Chemistry in1911.

Claudia Alexander (1959-2015). She was an American Planetary scientist.

Linda B. Buck (1947-Date). She is an American Neuroscientist with a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004 for olfactory receptors.

Glory Lim (1930-Date). She is a Singaporean mycologist and the first woman Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Singapore.

Barbara Liskov (1939-Date). She is an American Computer scientist for whom the Liskov Substitution principle is named.

Jeannette Wing (1956-Date). She is a computer scientist and Microsoft Corporate Vice-President.

Elsie MacGill (1907-1980). She was the first Canadian Female Engineer.

Jane Bryant, she is the engineering director for BAE Systems

Margaret Chan (1947-Date). She is a Chinese-Canadian health administrator and the Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

May Owen (1892-1988). She was a Texas Pathologist that discovered the talcum powder used on surgical gloves caused infection and peritoneal scarring.

Emmy Noether (1882-1935). She was a German Mathematician and theoretical Physicist (symmetries and conservation laws).

Margaret Kennard (1899-1975). She did a pioneering research on age effects on brain damage, which produced early evidence for Neuroplasticity.

References

-2019 Concept Note for International Day for Women and Girls in Science.
-2019 Program Agenda for International Day for Women and Girls in Science.
-Wikipedia.

By Rebecca Alassa and Bliss Ojeruse (SHADE-IN)

Follow SHADE-IN:

To contact us, kindly click: https://shade-in.blogspot.com/p/contact.html?m=1

Email: shadein2009@gmail.com

Blog: shade-in.blogspot.com

Facebook: @shadein (Saving Hand Development Initiative) https://web.facebook.com/shadein/ or www.facebook. com/shadein

Twitter: @SHADEIN3

Instagram: @shadein3

YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCmi9XZavSqt4vN_mALZappA (SHADE-IN Saving Hand Development Initiative)

#BalanceforBetter  #BalanceforPeace #IWD2019  #Education #GirlEducation #ScienceEducation #HTF #HealTheFoundation #CTC #TCC #MCC #SHADEIN #SHADE-IN