Studies: Number of women taking on S&T steadily rises

THE number of Filipinas taking up courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) have experienced a significant hike, according to a survey by the Department of Science and Technology-science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

The “Women in Science” study focused on the state of Filipino women and girls pursuing careers in STEM.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority from 1990 to 2015 reveal that females account for nearly half of the country’s total science and work force. Top S&T occupations with the highest number of female workers were nursing, midwifery and other health-related professions, as well as engineering and other technology-related professions.

In 2015 the DOST said that out of 10 million Bachelor’s degree holders in the country, more than 3.7 million have S&T degrees, composed roughly of 45 percent females. There are approximately 434,000 females (48.1 percent) who are S&T Bachelor’s degree holders and employed in S&T occupations. There were more females (54.3 percent) working in the S&T fields who are postbaccalaureate degree holders. The department noted that female S&T workers are younger (30 years old) than the male group (34 years old) based on their median age.

“While we have made great strides in empowering Filipinas in STEM, there is much work that still needs to be done not just in terms of gender equality, but also toward further improving access to education and employment opportunities,” said DOST-SEI Director Josette T. Biyo. “This inclusivity is [key to our country’s] development and eventual achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”

“Without naming names, there is a great number of Filipinas who are impact-players in their fields,” Biyo added. “We hope to continue to inspire our young girls, for we know the caliber that our women scientists and engineers can be.”

Online dominance

MEANWHILE, Coursera Managing Director of India and Asia Pacific Raghav Gupta told reporters in a recent press briefing that online enrollment in STEM by Filipina students and professionals since January 2021 outnumbered their male counterparts: 52 percent to 48 percent.

Gupta revealed his firm sees a rapid growth pace of STEM in the Philippines, then added: “More young Filipinas want to join the work force, and they see STEM as the most viable platform that can build their future careers.”

The executive shared that Filipina professionals took up online Coursera courses for their career and professional advancements, and that Filipinas enrolled in the online learning portal are higher than global averages of female participation.

Further, Gupta pointed out that in their data the involvement of Filipinas on the Coursera platform is higher than the global average of women participation on the platform. According to its Women and Skills Report 2021, the Philippines ranks first worldwide for the highest increase in enrollments from women, growing 774 percent year-over-year in 2022.

Likewise, the study noted there was an increasing number of female S&T employees in the fields of engineering, architecture, as well as information and communications technology-related fields. It disclosed that most females with careers in the said track are concentrated in some areas in Luzon, specifically in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon.