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Programme Leaflet [PDF version Oct. 2004] Programme Leaflet [WORD version] Oct 2004

There is widespread consensus that in most countries of the world women and girls remain seriously under-represented in science careers and related fields of study. Improving scientific, technological and vocational education is most important if girls are to improve their lives and to tackle the problems of poverty, particularly in developing countries. Even in countries where girls are well represented in science courses through the undergraduate level, there is a distinct pyramidal effect, with the number of women dwindling significantly by the doctoral and post-doctoral levels.

Achieving gender equity in science requires that girls have access to basic science education from an early age and that they receive mentoring at the secondary school level that will both make them aware of possible careers in science - particularly in new fields such as computer science, biotechnology, and environmental science - and will enable them to make the educational choices necessary to open the doors to those opportunities.

Graduate women can play an important role in this process serving as role models and developing mentoring programmes that will counteract stereotypes, make math and sciences more attractive and encourage girls to enter careers in science, engineering and technology.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is one of the key international organizations working to reduce the gender gap in science and technology. The UNESCO website - www.unesco.org - offers a wide range of ideas for action and resource materials. Of special interest are:

• UNESCO pilot programmes in Africa, Asia and the Pacific working to improving girls' participation in scientific, technical and vocational education (STVE) and related careers. The programmes are trying to remove barriers for girls in secondary school, by improving the quality and effectiveness of STVE, by addressing attitudes and stereotypes which prevent girls from taking advantage of current opportunities in science and technology, and by promoting a positive image of women in scientific and technical careers.
   
• UNESCO teaching and learning resources for use in teaching science. These range from tools promoting mathematical skills through games that children play, technical information and simple instructions for the construction of a range of widely-used items of school science equipment using inexpensive materials, to curriculum modules for teaching science.
   
• UNESCO Gender in Science: Resources in Science, Technology and Engineering
   
• UNESCO/Gender Advisory Board - Toolkit on Gender Indicators in Engineering, Science and Technology, prepared by Sophia Huyer and Gunnar Westholm

For an extended list of other related resources, please visit
the Education in Science & Technology Resources page

	Sierra Leone Association of University Women (SLAUW) Lab Aid Project furnishing science equipment and materials to an all-girls' school
Fiji Association of Women Graduates (FAWG) Science Workshops for Rural Secondary School Girls and Their Teachers designed to make science more attractive to rural girls aged 14-16 so that they will continue in science in high school or at the tertiary level
Finnish Federation of University Women (FFUW) - National Competition on Innovations for Women in the Information Society organized to promote women's and girls' interest in careers in information technology