Women's underrepresentation is still a major challenge in several facets of society. Women still confront substantial obstacles and hurdles in obtaining equal representation, despite tremendous advancement in recent decades. This underrepresentation is seen in professions such as politics, corporate management, STEM industries, and the media among others.

Lack of visible female role models is a key factor in the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. The idea that STEM areas are better suited to males and that women should pursue alternative careers is frequently reinforced by society. Young women find it difficult to picture themselves as future scientists, engineers, or mathematicians due to the dearth of representation in these fields.

Lack of Women in STEM

Women made up around 28 per cent of the workforce in scientific and engineering jobs in the US in 2018, according to statistics from the National scientific Foundation (NSF). Women made up roughly 25 per cent of the workforce in the computer and mathematical sciences, 15 per cent in engineering, and 40 per cent in the physical sciences, depending on the STEM area.

It can be challenging for women to find the inspiration and drive to pursue jobs in STEM when there are fewer realistic role models to look up to. In order to remove obstacles and encourage young women to pursue their love for science and technology, there has to be a greater number of prominent and successful female role models in these professions.

UNESCO Report Explains

A recent study by academics at the University of Georgia revealed that women continue to face discrimination in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and maths. Women left such positions at a disproportionately high rate, the survey also revealed.

According to a UNESCO report, although having greater educational levels than males, women are significantly underrepresented in these fields of study for a variety of personal, familial, and societal reasons.

Boys and men continue to predominately choose careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), sometimes known as the STEM fields.

Only one-third of STEM occupations are typically held by women and girls in Latin America. Women are especially less represented in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

The UN's Focus on Digital Skills

The UN recently highlighted this worldwide problem impacting women and girls. The chosen subject for 2023 speaks to the availability of digital skills, one of the main sources of the issue.

According to a report by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, nearly 72 million people living outside of major cities do not have access to connectivity services that meet minimum quality standards in many Latin American countries. This is especially true in rural areas. According to the World Bank, less than half of the people in Latin America and the Caribbean have access to broadband.

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), urged "every young woman and girl to know that the tech world needs" them in reference to the celebration of Girls in ICT Day (Information and Communications Technology), despite the lack of diversity and inclusivity required in this industry. Her motivational thoughts ought to be heard all around the world. However, because the online video can only be accessed online, these statements won't be heard by everyone.

This is why encouraging girls and women to work in STEM fields has to start early in education. Currently, according to the World Bank, only "5–15 per cent of adults in most LAC (Latin American and Caribbean) countries have medium or strong computer and problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments."

Achieving OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) levels of connection, according to the organisation, would cost around 0.12 per cent of the region's yearly GDP, which is less than what is needed to bridge gaps in the infrastructure, energy, and transportation sectors.

Global organisations like the UN, as well as local NGOs and even national governments, have been working on programmes to remedy the lack of representation by increasing the number of women working in these important fields of study. These organisations include the Brazilian Meninas Digitais and Meninas na Ciência, the Chilean Fundación Ingeniosas, the Mexican Nias STEM Pueden, the Argentinian Proyecto SAGA, and the Mexican Nias STEM Pueden.

Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean must change the focus of public policy to enable everyone who is interested in STEM to contribute in a world that is being quickly altered by AI and other digital technologies, especially girls and women.