At Hanoi College of High Technology, 80% of students study engineering, but last year there was only one female student. The information was given at the Dialogue on Digital Future: Vietnamese Women and Girls in STEM" organized by UN Women on the morning of December 10 in Hanoi.
The event brought together leaders, experts, educational institutions, businesses and students, all aiming to promote gender equality and increase opportunities in STEM for women and girls.
According to published data, Vietnam needs 2.5 million workers in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector by 2030. However, the proportion of women in this field is still very low, accounting for only 11% of people studying information technology, showing alarming gender inequality.
Vice President of Vietnam Women's Union Nguyen Thi Thu Hien (2nd from right) attends the Dialogue forum
Speaking at the opening of the Dialogue, Ms. Vu Thu Hong (Women, Peace and Security Programme Officer of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women - UN Women in Vietnam) said: STEM fields are shaping the future of work and human progress, especially at this time of digital transformation and AI-based industrialization. However, globally and in Vietnam, women and girls are still underrepresented in these important fields.
This gender gap reflects broader systemic challenges ranging from biases that prevent girls from pursuing STEM education to structural barriers that limit women’s participation in the tech workforce.
As Vietnam aims to develop its government, economy and digital society, the need to close this gap is more urgent than ever. “Empowering women and girls in STEM is not only a matter of equality, but also a catalyst for innovation, economic growth and sustainable development. By investing in the talent of Vietnam’s young generation, we are investing in a brighter future for all of us,” Ms. Vu Thu Hong emphasized.
One of the barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing STEM, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, a lecturer at Hanoi College of Technology, is the prejudice of parents. Ms. Hong said that 80% of the school's students study engineering, of which last year there was only one female. Many technology corporations have a need to recruit workers in the STEM field, especially giving priority to recruiting female workers. Because girls are considered to be persistent, tenacious, and have a stable mentality... That is because most parents only want their children to work in the beauty care industry, the economic industry - industries that they think are gentle and suitable for girls. They do not want their daughters to study engineering because they are afraid that this profession is too hard for women. I hope that social prejudice will change so that more girls can study and work in the STEM field," Ms. Hong said.
Agreeing with Ms. Hong's opinion, Ms. Dao Lan Huong - Founder and CEO of Teky Technology Academy - said that only 17% of female students attend the Academy. "There are many female students with good achievements in the STEM field. However, the higher the level of education, the lower the percentage of female students. Out of 100 male students, there is only 1 female student. The reason is due to gender bias from parents. Female students want to study for a long time, but parents do not want their children to study hard, do not want to invest long-term for their daughters to pursue the technology field."
Speakers at the Dialogue Forum
As a parent, Ms. Tran Dao Hanh (National Center for Supporting Innovative Startups NSSC - Ministry of Science and Technology) said that in the past, she was also influenced by her parents' views on her orientation to study and work. However, after finishing school, she followed the path she loved, completely different from the path her parents had outlined for her, which was to become a teacher. "I hope parents will guide their children according to their interests and strengths, and reduce imposing their views on them. I work in the field of science and technology incubation. I see that students have many very creative ideas. I hope there will be a continuous program to support the incubation of ideas for students from secondary and high school."
Prioritizing the recruitment of female technical staff is the policy of Hitachi Energy Vietnam Co., Ltd. However, female human resources in the technical field are "scarce". Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, human resources director, said: Hitachi Energy Vietnam Company has a goal of increasing the proportion of female employees from 19-25% in the coming time. The company encourages female students studying engineering to work. In addition, the company has a global female leadership training program. Therefore, women have many opportunities to develop. However, we face difficulties when the female human resources in the technical field are very limited.
Sharing about the effort to bring STEM to millions of Vietnamese students, Ms. Tran To Uyen (National Director of STEAM for Vietnam) said that in the past 4 years, STEAM for Vietnam has trained more than 80,000 students and 10,000 teachers nationwide. STEAM for Vietnam will continue to bring the best educational opportunities, helping the young generation of Vietnam confidently reach out to the world. "We want to nurture a passion for technology in students from a young age, so that they can have a career orientation for themselves early," Ms. Tran To Uyen shared.
At the Forum, experts analyzed the current landscape, understood the barriers, challenges, and identified opportunities for women and girls in STEM-based industries and education. It was also about exploring pathways, initiatives, and innovations to overcome these obstacles. Together, we can work towards the goal of building a “highway” to empower women and girls to keep up with the rapidly growing STEM fields.
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/cang-len-cao-ty-le-sinh-vien-nu-theo-duoi-linh-vuc-stem-cang-giam-manh-2024121016034076.htm
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