Women are encouraged to pursue technical education.
This was the message during a panel dialogue on 10 February to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNG Unitech).
Equal participation by women in technical careers is vital for PNG to participate in the modern workforce and global economy. This includes supporting women and girls to complete technical education to build the skills and confidence to participate in this essential field.
However, despite extensive efforts by the global community and in PNG, women and girls continue to be excluded from fully participating in STEM education and careers.
The event themed ‘Shifting the Balance: Building the NEXGenGirls in STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics)’ featured speeches from Unitech Chancellor, Dame Jean Kekedo, and Diane Barclay, Minister-Counsellor at the Australian High Commission.
Ms Barclay highlighted both the opportunities for PNG through investments in STEM, as well as the extensive support Australia is providing to support women and girls in STEM in PNG.
“Without high quality, locally-delivered STEM education, women will not progress to careers in STEM. Australia is proud to support women and girls in STEM in primary, secondary and tertiary education, as well as through our infrastructure and health investments,” Ms Barclay said.
“This includes Australia Awards scholarships and short courses, investments in university infrastructure to support more places for women STEM students and working with contractors to employ women in non-traditional roles such as engineering, as seen at the ANGAU redevelopment project.”
The event also included a panel of prominent leaders and role models including Michelle Silip, Civil Engineering Lab Manager at Unitech, Rachel Nurvue, Founder of PNG Women in Construction, and Georgina Kiele, Executive Manager, Cybersecurity and Digital Government Standards, Department of Information, Communication & Technology.
“Our country is now at a juncture where more women and girls are venturing into professions that have been perceived for so many years to be professions for men only. Promoting women and girls in STEM is the way forward for PNG to harness the untapped potential of its human resources,” said Dame Jean Kekedo.
The event is just one-way Unitech is actioning its commitment to getting more women and girls into technical education.
It has increased enrolment of female students in STEM courses by 2.6 percent between 2015 and 2022 through the Incentive Fund grant.
The university hopes to further increase that with the construction of new accommodation for women students, including those studying STEM subjects.
(From left: Founder of PNG Women in Construction, Rachel Nurvue, AHC Representative, Diane Barcley, Manager-Civil Engineering Laboratory, Michelle Silip, Unitech Registrar, Veronica Thomas, Lecturer Business Information System, Francisca Pambel and panel moderator, Scott Waide)