The Gender STEM Gap and Its Impact on Sustainable Development Goals and the Big Four Agenda in Kenya: A Synthesis of Literature

Abstract

Women have made significant progress in education through marked increase in enrolment. However, the same zeal has not been demonstrated in STEM based subjects and careers. The gender STEM scale still tips in favour of men in many countries across the world. This imbalance in the STEM fields owing to dominance by men is what creates the STEM Gap. In this paper, we synthesize literature and secondary data to show these disparities. We appreciate that STEM gap drivers are numerous and therefore zero in on what we consider the critical STEM gap drivers with respect to Kenya. We identify and succinctly discuss these critical drivers which are: self-concept and lack of resilience, teachers’ and parental expectations, role models and stereotyping, work environment and family obligations and finally weak scholastic performance. We also assess how this gender STEM gap is likely to affect the achievement of a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) and the Big Four Agenda and in the process, steer the country away from the path of industrialization envisaged in Vision 2030. We explain why it is important to mitigate the STEM gap and get more women in STEM. We recommend that, parents should deconstruct their own stereotypes; teachers should debunk the myth about STEM being the preserve of superior mental abilities that girls lack, students should acknowledge that STEM drives the economy and opens up employment opportunities, institutions should have a STEM endowment fund and industries should institute policies that enhance retention of women in STEM careers. It is expected that these if addressed should enhance women’s participation in STEM based subjects so that they can build careers in STEM.

Factors Affecting Learners Enrollment into STEM Programs n TVET Institutions within Kisumu County, Kenya: A Comparative Analysis

“…Role models range from parents, trainers, peers, and professionals already practicing. Girls are the most disadvantaged because there are few females in STEM who can motivate the younger ones to join these programs in TVET institutions as statistics have shown in the previous section (Amunga & Amadalo, 2020). Some studies have also shown that unconscious bias especially in hiring and promotion disadvantage women in STEM leading their low representation (Amunga & Amadalo, 2020;Akgunduz & Canan, 2021).…”

“…Other than stereotype, another demotivating factor that affects enrollment of both girls and boys into STEM programs in the TVET institutions is lack of role models (Amunga & Amadalo, 2020). However, girls are the most affected by this factor.…”

“…As mentioned previously, stereotypes exist even among prospective employers who still perceive women as "weak gender" who cannot be seasoned and dedicated engineers (Akgunduz & Canan, 2021). For example, studies show that for every 10 males employed in STEM-related industries, only 1 female gets a chance leading to a below 10% representation of female employees in such industries (Amunga & Amadalo, 2020). Moreover, some scholars have also shown that some employers discriminate females because being homemakers, they might not attain a work-life balance that makes them productive in the high-demanding industries.…”

“…Moreover, some scholars have also shown that some employers discriminate females because being homemakers, they might not attain a work-life balance that makes them productive in the high-demanding industries. Due to these factors, males have been favored against the few females in STEM and this further complicates the already existing underrepresentation of women in STEM, and in return the motivation for the younger ones to enroll into these programs in the TVET institutions (Amunga & Amadalo, 2020). As exhibited, a number of factors exist which either motivate or demotivate trainees, both males and females, to join TVET institutions to pursue STEM-related courses.…”