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{
"id": 1050198,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1050198/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Milgo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13174,
"legal_name": "Milgo Alice Chepkorir",
"slug": "milgo-alice-chepkorir"
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"content": "I rise pursuant to Standing Order No. 47 (1), to make a Statement on an issue of general topical concern, namely, the importance of encouraging girls to pursue STEM education. Mr. Speaker, Sir, according to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report titled, “Cracking the Code: Girls and Women Education in STEM”, there are only 35 per cent of STEM students in higher education globally are women. This gender gap is concerning, considering that STEM careers are referred to as the jobs of the future. The report notes that a strong gender imbalance exists globally in regard to women’s representation in STEM fields, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Mr. Speaker, Sir, according to the United Nations Institute of Statistics, less than 30 per cent of the world’s researchers are women. Numerous studies have found that women in STEM fields publish less, are paid less for their research and do not progress as far as men in their careers. There are many complex reasons why girls and women are under-represented in STEM subjects and fields. Conscious and unconscious biases, social norms and cultural expectations frequently influence the type and quality of education girl learners receive and the choices offered to them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is important to have diversity represented in STEM, and not just for the sake of numbers. When women are pushed out of careers in STEM by systems of bias, this influences the products and services that STEM organizations create hence Artificial Intelligence (AI) or machine learning bias is a recognized concern for organizations developing products and services using this technology. Only about 26 per cent of AI professionals globally are female, according to the 2020 World Economic Forum report on the Global Gender Gap, which also found that current trajectories mean sub-Saharan Africa will only close its gender gap in 95 years; another reason we must pay attention to investing in women’s STEM development. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is vital that we engage with girls at primary and secondary school levels to raise the visibility of STEM subjects as a potential career trajectory. One such collaboration is the DigiGirlz programme, which inspires high school girls to pursue STEM subjects by providing them with the opportunity to interact with Microsoft employees and receive computer and technology training. Each year, Microsoft hosts DigiGirlz Day across the world, including in the Middle East and Africa. During this pandemic, these events will be virtual, allowing girls from Kenya, Rwanda, Canada and the US to engage in the first International Virtual Microsoft DigiGirlz Panel and Bootcamp. We must, therefore, encourage Kenyan parents to register their girls to participate in such events so as to motivate our girls regarding this very important subject. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}