Africa: No Hidden Figures - Success Stories Can Help Girls' Stem Careers

10 February 2017

United Nations — What makes a young girl believe she is less intelligent and capable than a boy? And what happens when those children face the 'hard' subjects like science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)? A recent study, 'Gender stereotypes about intellectual ability emerge early and influence children's interests' showed that by the age of 6, girls were already less likely than boys to describe their own gender as 'brilliant', and less likely to join an activity labelled for 'very, very smart' kids.

Research tells us repeatedly that girls and boys are strongly influenced in the development of their thinking and sense of themselves by narratives and stereotypes that start to be learnt at home and continue at school and through life, reinforced by the images and the roles they see in advertising, in films, books and news stories. 

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