“Girls can’t do maths, science is for boys,”
Is what was told within society for years, decades and centuries. But now if you scroll through tiktok or any social media platform for that matter, you hear about women in STEM. First of all, what in the world is STEM? Second of all, what is a woman in STEM?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. All these fields are considered to be male dominated fields. For years, women in these fields have faced discrimination, stereotyping and limited opportunities. And at present, our women in STEM are breaking these stereotypes and proving that gender was never a determinant of intelligence or capabilities.
Looking back, women were denied access to education and were forced to fit into the role of “homemakers” solely to stay at home, cook, clean and raise children. As the YouTuber funkyfrogbait once eloquently put, “How many Einsteins have spent their lives washing dishes? How many Mozarts bent over stoves instead of pianos, because they had the misfortune of being born a woman?.”
Even if women did make advancements in STEM, they did not receive the proper recognition they fully deserved. For example, in 1903, Marie Curie was deliberately removed from receiving the Nobel Prize for physics, only to be later added at her husband’s insistence. Another example is Rosalind Franklin, whose studies were the most critical in identifying the double helix structure of DNA but instead of her, for years two men got recognition for her work.
Despite women continuing to prove that men are not “better” at maths or technology than women are, they still continue to face many challenges such as gender pay gaps, lack of leadership opportunities, harassment and having to balance work and family, as women still hold the major role as a “homemaker”.
The best example would be the comments left under posts regarding Kristina Koch after her Artemis II mission. “Who let her leave the kitchen” or “She was there to clean the toilet” or “Of course someone had to cook for the crew” or simply, “Why the woman?”. All this while Kritina was holding the record for the longest single spaceflight compared to the rest of the crew on top of being an exceptional electrical engineer.
Girls should be encouraged to study STEM from a young age, teaching them that no field is “for men” or “for women”. The main point is to break stereotypes and fund and support women in STEM. And for girls to look up to other great women in STEM.
Whether you’re a woman in STEM, a woman in politics, a woman in business, or any other field, do it for all the women before you, who were told, they can’t. Do it for all the girls who doesn’t have the same privilege and access to education as you.
Written & Design By: –
Rtr. Kawindra Wickramasinghe
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
