The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 7th Anniversary of the Global Movement, February 11, 2022.
Growing up in rural Kenya, Stella observed women and girls playing a key role in the family. Girls attend to house chores, prepare family meals and care for the young ones, affecting their ability to go to school and perform well compared to their male siblings. Girls are often subjected to early marriage and consequently many drop out of school, never to obtain the lifechanging benefits of education that their male peers often get prioritised for. For those girls that are fortunate to progress in school, many do not take up courses in science as they are deemed to be ‘more difficult’ and requiring more time investment.
Girls’ education goes beyond physically getting girls to attend school. Schools should also be a safe and enabling environment, allowing girls to have the opportunity to complete all levels of education, acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to compete in the labor market; gain socio-emotional and life skills required to navigate and adapt to a changing world and make decisions about their own lives. Encouraging and supporting the girl-child to pursue science courses will affect the community positively.