To create a pipeline for girls to take on STEM skills and build careers around it. This is to be achieved by conducting bi-monthly workshops covering STEM topics (with particular focus on digital marketing and fintech) for 300 girls by year-end 2024, measuring proficiency growth through pre- and post-workshop assessments, and facilitating job placements; aiming for a 25% increase in understanding core STEM concepts.
According to the last report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on women and men in Nigeria, 22% of annual STEM graduates from Nigerian universities are women, while about 5% of this figure can be found in the information and communication technology sector. This can be traced to poor enrollment of girls in secondary school in STEM courses, which can be linked to gender stereotyping on the kind of subject girls should be interested in.
The initiative is intricately designed to nurture and grow the pipeline of girls in STEM, focusing on digital marketing and fintech. Through targeted workshops, early exposure, role model engagement, hands-on learning, and industry collaborations, it aims to create a sustainable pipeline of skilled and confident young women. The pre- and post-workshop assessments ensure effectiveness, fostering proficiency growth and long-term impact, bridging gender gaps in STEM fields.
If 25% of the 300 girls go on to have long and successful careers in STEM (digital marketing and fintech), we would have taken a positive step towards achieving improved gender parity in the distribution of males and females in STEM. This will aid the achievement of Goal 3 of the Foundation: Empower girls with targeted skills, encompassing both vocational and academic proficiency, instilling self-assurance necessary for success across various life domains.
