Science and technology still
fail to attract Dutch female students
August 7th,
2015
Photo: jvanderwolf via Depositphotos
For all its innovative work in tech, engineering and
the sciences, the Netherlands lags behind in encouraging women into these
fields. Esther O’Toole talks to some of the women working to right the balance.
Last month there was
uproar in the international science community when Nobel Prize winning
biochemist Tim Hunt stood up in front of a conference of science journalists in
Seoul, South Korea and said:
‘Let me tell you about
my trouble with girls … three things happen when they are in the lab … You fall
in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticise them, they
cry.’
In the ensuing media
storm, Dutch newspaper the Volkskrant said: ‘One thing is certain: Hunt’s
remarks…touch on something bigger than himself. He unleashed a worldwide discussion
over sexism and gender…in the sciences.’
Scientists
In 2010, figures from
Unesco showed the Netherlands had fewer female science graduates than any other
country in the world.
Though the
representation varies across the different specialities and in some fields
there are undoubtedly more women than in others, for a country that considers
itself generally open-minded, egalitarian and educationally advanced, last
place seems pretty damning.
Dutch government
figures show that since 2007, the number of girls opting for technical courses
at havo secondary schools has risen from 15% to 26% and at pre-university vwo
secondary schools from 20% to 38%.
Around one in five
girls now study technical subjects at vocational or hbo colleges. However, the
number of female students taking technical courses at university has remained
the same, at 26%. So progress is being made in the Netherlands but very slowly.
There is a desperate need for more science and engineering graduates to fill
the growing number of jobs in the science and technological fields, so why are
girls and young women so reluctant to take up these subjects?
Role models
A study published by
Northwestern University in the US at the beginning of May found that the Dutch
were the most likely to associate the sciences with men and masculinity. The
report concluded that this kind of ‘explicit’ stereotyping is an indicator of
biased hiring and a lack of encouragement for girls towards engineering and the
sciences.
VHTO, a Dutch expert
advocacy group for women in science, says self-confidence, fertility/lifestyle
issues and the necessity to opt for specific study paths early in Dutch
education are contributing factors to the problem.
In addition, ‘it is
hard to find female role models to guest lecture,’ VHTO spokeswoman Masja
Gielstra, said.
The VHTO has now
developed a database of nearly 2,000 female role models they can call upon.
Together they conduct research, consult and organise programmes and events and
work closely with the education ministry.
The flagship programme
is Girlsday which takes place nationwide every April. Female experts, coached
by VHTO to effectively deal with different age groups, visit schools;
specifically to introduce strong role models to girls.
‘We find it really
important that they start at an early age,’ Gielstra added.
Not only schools
participate in Girlsday. This year over 10,000 girls aged 10-15 years visited a
company or science centre and 310 companies threw open their doors for
experiental workshops, giving girls an opportunity to see for themselves what
working in these industries is like.
‘Companies know that
more diversity in their teams is good for productivity,’ Gielstra said.
Real Chances
One Dutch company which
took part in Girlsday this year is engineering group Royal HaskoningDHV.
While women account for 47% of HR, communications and IT jobs, just 11% of
technical staff are female.
Environmental
consultant Coco Smits studied environmental science at university and is keen
to get more girls onto science and industrial engineering pathways.
Assertiveness is essential in a company with multiple projects going on, she
says, but after a time your work will speak for itself.
‘‘Take the chances that
come by, be visible and have a clear story of who you are and what you want to
do,’ Smit says.
That position is echoed
by Annemarie Kin, an experienced Royal HaskoningDHV asset management advisor,
who has worked there for 12 years and has four children. ‘It’s important to
assess yourself again and again against development points,’ she said. ‘Where
can I improve? What can I do for the company…there are real chances here.’
The VHTO does see the
fruits of these kinds of partnerships between businesses, themselves,
government bodies and educational establishments. Nevertheless, ‘we’re not
there yet,’ Gielstra says.
‘It is vitally
important that education and businesses keep working together in public-private
partnership in the future, so that…the chances for girls in technology and IT
remain clearly visible.’
Read more at DutchNews.nl: Science and technology still fail to attract Dutch female students http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2015/08/science-and-technology-still-fail-to-attract-dutch-female-students/
Read more at DutchNews.nl: Science and technology still fail to attract Dutch female students http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2015/08/science-and-technology-still-fail-to-attract-dutch-female-students/
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