Breaking down stereotypes on women in STEM gives female engineers more confidence

A female scientist working at a lab of the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — More than seven years ago, Nguyễn Thị Huyền applied for the energy engineering major at the University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University, Hà Nội, although no one from her family supported her decision.

Thanks to her passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and a determination to pursue her dream, in 2020, she graduated with the highest scores and received an offer from Việt Nga Sustainable Energy Company to become an assistant to the director.

Now, people no longer question her choice.

Being the only one among her female university classmates still working at a STEM job, she said: “Patience brings about opportunities for us, the women in the STEM career.”

Huyền is just one among many women in Việt Nam pursuing a STEM dream without much support from others at the beginning.

They have broken down stereotypes that exist within families, schools and society to become female STEM leaders.

Many surveys in Việt Nam have shown that there is a lack of female participation in STEM.

According to the Information Technology Human Resources Market 2020 Report of VietnamWorks InTECH, women accounted for only 11 per cent of people studying information technology in Việt Nam.

At the Hà Nội University of Science and Technology, a leading educational institution in STEM, girls make up for only 22 per cent of total students.

A common misunderstanding, that STEM is only intended for and suitable for men, still exists in part because of gender stereotypes among families, schools and society, hindering girls from accessing STEM opportunities early.

According to the Việt Nam Energy Efficiency Network, Việt Nam does not have many activities to honour and spread the real stories of successful female STEM professionals to inspire other young women. Without strong connections between female students and successful female experts, female students lack personal confidence and motivation to boldly develop their STEM careers.

Phương Hoa, a third-year student at the University of Engineering and Technology, said women’s endurance in STEM jobs is not as high as men’s. That’s one of the stereotypes that hinder women in the career path.

Nguyễn Thị Huyền said life challenges sometimes make sensitive female engineers change their mindset in STEM jobs.

Thu Phương, a female engineer of the Việt Nam Academy of Science and Technology, told Việt Nam News that female scientists must also complete the tasks of being wives and mothers. “They have the burden of giving birth and taking care of family, which sometimes hinders them from further job promotion.”

The Việt Nam Energy Efficiency Network has recently launched the She4Future project which aims to promote a generation of confident and talented women in STEM in Việt Nam.

The programme includes career guidance and training to improve capacity, remove gender stereotypes and affirm women’s power in the field.

It aims to eliminate gender stereotypes through spreading practical information about the role of STEM women, building a strong inner belief in every individual woman, and inspiring people by sharing the common difficulties of the female STEM community through real stories from successful female professionals.

Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy, director of Socna Company, one of the successful STEM professionals joining the programme, said female engineers must keep their own passion, confidence, trust and improve their adaptation ability.

Previously an engineer and now director of a company which specialises in construction design, Thủy has learned from experience that female engineers need to keep updating their professional knowledge, whether at 40, 60 or 80 years old. Engineers need to compete not only with other people, but also machine and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Associate Professor Nguyễn Minh Tân, director of the Institute for Research and Development of Natural Compounds Applications of the Hà Nội University of Sciences and Technology, advised women who love STEM to follow their dreams until the end.

“Many students at the university have aimed further to specific positions, for example, I will become a lecturer or work at a lab after graduation. But for me I neither thought much about it when I was a student nor had any plan.”

“Others often question whether they can find a job after graduation. Some seek a so-called hot trend major to study.”

“In fact, the major considered a hot trend now could be replaced by AI four to five years later when you graduate. So, my advice is not to follow the hot trend but understand what your passion is,” she said.

Sharing from the perspective of a STEM business manager, Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy said female engineering staff needed proper preferential policies such as maternal leave and training at STEM companies.

Tân said female engineers worked with high efficiency. If employers pay attention to them, give them a good environment and encourage them to be confident to express their ideas, they would work extremely carefully and commit to staying with the business for a long time. —VNS