Photograph of WeSTEM students in Madhya Pradesh, India. Photo: UN Women/Mirah Zamin
Chindwara, Madhya Pradesh/New Delhi, India — UN Women’s WeSTEM programme hosted a webinar and an in-person event today to mark World Youth Skills Day, and to support young women pursuing an education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), particularly in tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh. The event brought together representatives from the government, donors, corporations, and civil society organisations.
The webinar titled "Empowering Young Women in STEM - Mentorship and Programmatic Strategies for Career Advancement" successfully concluded a two-hour session with more than 400 participants joining virtually from tribal-dominated districts of Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, two in-person telecasts of the webinar took place in Bhopal and Chhindwara, where over 100 young women joined in person. The event provided valuable insights and strategies for overcoming obstacles in STEM careers, empowering participants to pursue and advance in their STEM careers.
The event was comprised of two segments: personal journey stories from women in STEM and presentations on programmatic strategies by other stakeholders.
During the event, Priyamvada Thakur from the Industrial Training Institute, Chindwara shared, "This webinar provided me with the motivation and support I need to pursue a career in STEM."
Niharika Kanojekar, also from the Industrial Training Institute, Betul reiterated, “Hearing the stories of other women who have succeeded in STEM was incredibly inspiring."
WeSTEM is one of UN Women’s flagship projects, and is funded by the Micron Foundation and Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development and Employment Generation Board. It aims to equip 2,000 young women from tribal areas in the state with the skills to work in high-growth STEM careers.
“Women and girls must have equal opportunities to participate in STEM education and access jobs in the sector to advance the gender equality agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals. India has the highest number of STEM graduates in the world, and the number of women choosing STEM courses has been steadily increasing,” said Kanta Singh, Country Representative (a.i.), UN Women India. “This event is an important step to support women’s leadership and sustained employment in these critical fields.”
The WeSTEM program offers counselling and mentorship, and helps women navigate their STEM education and careers.
Speaking during the webinar, Antara Lahiri, Director Micron Foundation, Asia-Pacific and Europe said, “At the Micron Foundation, we are excited to collaborate with partners to design inclusive programs for girls from marginalized backgrounds to support them to access careers of the future. Our work with UN Women to develop the ‘WeSTEM’ program is a great example of building an ecosystem that addresses the specific needs and goals of vulnerable women and girls.”
The webinar promised valuable insights into effective strategies for advancing women in STEM.
The Webinar was streamed LIVE on YouTube: Watch Here:
