By Tolu Aiyegbusi
Abuja – Mrs Jackie Olang, the Executive Director, Network of African Science Academies, Nairobi, Kenya, has urged teachers and parents to adopt more feminine approaches to teaching science and technology.
Olang gave this advice in Abuja on Friday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
She noted that many girls were made to believe that aspects of science and technology were dangerous which gave them an impression that it was not feminine.
She, therefore, advised parents and teachers not to teach females that they would have to adapt to masculine culture or nature to be successful in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
According to her, both parents and teachers have the task of dismantling sexist stereotypes that keep girls away from STEM by making them to be satisfied with just making a toy pink.
“Stereotypes such as female students need to position or behave themselves as non-feminine or masculine to be appreciated in the science and technology field.
“The norm is usually for them not to wear makeup or heels or even get manicures; sometimes they have been taught not to even be dressed in bright clothing.
“Stereotypes like these keep girls away from STEM which shouldn’t be so,’’she said.
She stated that if parents and teachers stopped portraying science and technology as being tough, dirty, hard and sturdy, female participation would increase. (NAN)