IBM India/South Asia Blog
IBM celebrates third anniversary of its STEM for Girls initiative
Empowers over 2,00,000 girls and 1,00,000 boys across 12 states
IBM convened a high-level multi-stakeholder roundtable to commemorate the third anniversary of its STEM for Girls initiative in India and observe the International Day for Women and Girls in Science. The event focused on recognizing the role of women and girls in science as beneficiaries and as agents of change. During the event, 11 school girls championing in the STEM space shared their accomplishments and aspirations in the presence of key stakeholders such as Mathew Joseph, Country Director, American India Foundation and Aakash Sethi, CEO, Quest Alliance and Dr. Nisha Mendiratta, Advisor & Scientist G, Climate Change Programme, who represented the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The event also gave us perspective of eminent women in science.
In the last three years, IBM has conducted various programs under the initiative to empower over 2,00,000 government school girls and 1,00,000 boys to pursue STEM education. These students hail from various districts across 12 states - Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Nagaland and Uttarakhand.
Sharing his thoughts on this milestone, Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India, said, "We launched the STEM For Girls Program in India in 2019 to shape girls' education and career pathways in schools. Today, we empower over 330K learners across 12 states with STEM skills, and it is a very proud moment for all of us. Our collaboration with various State Governments has helped advocate and create awareness at the school level and provide holistic support to teachers and educators on curating inclusive practices to promote girls in technology. For IBM, driving STEM education for girls, creating more job opportunities, and helping women sustain their STEM jobs is a key strategic focus. As part of the program, we also support stronger knowledge development and training in technology. This initiative is also helping our girl students make informed career choices, through the ‘IBM mentors’ program."
According to All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018-19 by Ministry of Education, women constitute nearly 43 percent of the total STEM enrollments in the country. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to expand conversations around STEM for girls and reduce the gender gap in STEM jobs.
In a country like India, where women are instrumental to the growth of our economy, young girls must be encouraged to develop an understanding of STEM education. Statistics reveal that girls require long-term support and a conducive environment to build sustainable career pathways in STEM. Given the background, the IBM STEM for Girls Initiative is an important step towards helping realise the Skill India and Digital India mission and nurture a diverse and robust talent pool to serve the needs of the industry in India, for India and the world.
About IBM STEM for Girls:
About IBM STEM for Girls focuses on the synergy of the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects through pedagogical reforms aimed to teach these subjects via real-world applications and enhance the overall learning outcomes. The program equips girls with digital fluency, life, career and coding skills, provide access to knowledge and tools, build agency among adolescent girls and help to build strong pathway to careers.
About IBM India
For more information on IBM India, please visit http://www.ibm.com/in/en.