Rwanda: Govt Launches Bootcamp to Increase Female Students in STEM

2 April 2023
The New Times (Kigali)
By Germain Nsanzimana

The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) on Saturday launched a six-day boot camp aimed at increasing the number of female students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in higher institutions.

The camp, themed 'Close the digital divide: ensuring gender transformative digital skills education for women and girls,' is part of the Ministry's efforts to address the gap between male and female students in STEM. Over 100 female students from Western and Northern Province in Rwanda are participating in the program.

Dr. Fabien Habimana, a Science, Technology and Research Specialist at the Ministry of Education, said that they are conducting research to identify and address the challenges that discourage female students from pursuing STEM courses. According to UNESCO, only 20 percent of scientists in the region are women.

"We are encouraging high school female graduates to enroll in STEM. But, we are also carrying out research to know reasons [and] challenges that deter females from pursuing science courses so as to help them," he said.

Meanwhile, Emeline Umuhoza Gasana, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda (UR), revealed that poor mindset and self-confidence are the biggest challenges that should be considered.

Read the original article on New Times.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2023 The New Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.