Report of a Capacity Building Workshop to Strengthen the Education System in Uganda towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics among Women and Girls.

Abstract

Achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda requires transformative thinking and action. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have already made improvements in many aspects of life, such as health and well- being, infrastructure, sustainable energy production, agriculture and many others. STEM has the potential to transform and improve people's lives while ensuring environmental sustainability and providing the basis for new approaches and solutions to current and future global challenges. The African Union (AU) has recognized the importance of science, technology, research and innovation in stimulating socio-economic development in Africa in its Agenda 2063, and even earlier in the 2007 Addis Ababa Declaration on Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development. There is a growing demand for professionals with STEM skills in Africa, and the so-called fourth industrial revolution is expected to create a wide range of new jobs in these fields. However, unless efforts are made to address the mismatch between current skills and what will be needed for the future, this revolution will leave much of the continent behind. One of the concerns for many African countries including Uganda is the low participation and academic performance of girls in STEM studies. Many cross- national learning assessments find that gender differences in science and mathematics achievement begin at the end of primary education, deepen in secondary education and are accompanied by fewer women than men pursuing these fields in higher education. UNESCO's 2017 global report, Cracking the Code, revealed that gender differences in STEM fields do not begin in the Labour market, nor even in higher education. They can be traced back to numerous complex and interconnected factors, embedded in the socialization and leaming processes. These include the way boys and girls are brought up, learn, interact and socialize with parents, family, friends, teachers, and the wider community, and gender stereotypes about ability and options in life. The school is also an important setting for socialization, and the entire education process can influence the quality of the learning experience and either enhance or compromise girls' engagement with STEM studies. Teachers' subject specialization, professional preparation and support for effective teaching of STEM subject are critical factors, influencing not only girls' performance in but also their choice of future studies and careers. Furthermore, teachers represent some of the strongest early role models for students outside the family, promoting positive beliefs about women's abilities and invalidating harmful stereotypes. Based on the above, UNESCO, with the financial support of the Government of Japan and Bulgaria in collaboration with a number of partners, has developed training materials to strengthen the capacity of the education system to provide gender-responsive STEM education where all children can learn, grow and develop to their full potential. Uganda is one of the Countries benefitting from this support. The Uganda National Commission for UNESCO-UNATCOM together with the 5 representatives from the Country who participated in the STEM training of 2018 in Kigali-Rwanda organized and conducted a 5 days' sensitization training for Education stakeholders drawn from different levels in the Country.