Vice-Chancellor Calls for Female STEM Directory

In order to support women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, Nigeria needs a directory of female scientists, according to Prof. Ibiyinka Fuwape, vice-chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University in Delta State.

Physicist Fuwape lamented the lack of organised mentorship among female scientists in an interview conducted in Abuja, saying, “As a country we need to have the statistics of female scientists, a directory of where these people are so that the younger ones will know and can relate with them.”

She added that there were successful women in STEM-related careers, both domestically and abroad, who were willing to mentor young people.

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“Accomplished scientists should be invited to schools to give talks so the female students can relate that these people exist, they marry, and they are balancing both career and family.

“Structured mentoring is lacking; we need to mentor the upcoming ones so that they don’t face the challenges that we faced.

“When you mentor a younger person, you open that person up to your network; guide the person, and the person will succeed faster through primary, secondary schools, and university education.

“The gap is there, there are Nigerian women excelling both locally and internationally and young ones can adopt them as mentors and they as mentees,’’ Fuwape said.

She added hiring more female teachers was another measure that may increase the number of women in STEM.

Additionally, she pushed publishers of science books to include representations of women in STEM fields in textbooks for fundamental science.

“People who write science books should be encouraged. When you are putting the picture of an engineer in science books, put a female wearing a lab coat.

“With that image the children can know that from primary school, a woman can be anything, including a scientist, doctor, an engineer,’’ she said.

She added that colleges should offer scholarships to parents who are struggling financially so they may send their kids to study science-related vocations.

They should also give special recognition for students who excel in STEM fields.

NAN