Pakistani Women in STEM: Talented but Underrepresented

Pakistani women have proved their talent not just nationally but internationally. Theoretical physicist Tasneem Zehra Husain, computer scientist Asma Zaheer, astrophysicist Mariam Sultana, and biologist Asifa Akhtar, to name a few notable names, represented Pakistan globally and made major contributions in their fields. Compared to some developed countries, where female researchers make up only 38.8% of total researchers, Pakistani women contribute a higher share to research. However, this percentage does not translate to the STEM women’s workforce as a whole; in engineering and technology, women’s participation in Pakistan remains far lower. As much as 70 percent of women engineers are not employed. On average, the situation in STEM-based institutes remains challenging for Pakistani women.

An Overview of the STEM-based Gender Gap

STEM is a rigorous career choice, requiring candidates to clear multiple entrance tests, demanding exams, and projects throughout their degree. After the completion of the degree, the graduate has to compete for scarce jobs. Women’s contribution to STEM is low all across the world. However, in Pakistan, a country with almost as many females as males, the female workforce in STEM remains less than 10 percent. While participation in scientific research and academia has improved compared to previous years, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles. Prominent women in STEM are bringing meaningful change through subtle yet powerful ways. Women-led social media campaigns and initiatives are supporting thousands of aspiring women professionals. However, the pace at which Pakistan is trying to close the gender gap in STEM is too slow compared to the needs of the situation.

A Girl’s Early Childhood and Social Conditions

In Pakistan and globally, it is not the difficulties of STEM itself that push women away. It is a fact that STEM remains a male-dominated field. Differential treatment begins in early childhood, when boys and girls are given different toys. This practice indirectly shapes different patterns of thinking in them. Compared to........

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