Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Gender Mainstreaming in Women's STEM Education and Career Tracks
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Our challenge is that based on available data, fewer women are presented in STEM education and further segregation in the STEM Labor market in Uzbekistan. Most of the women are presented in the following areas: farming and education. Moreover, gender studies were not developed during the last decades, and most of the data on gender issues is not available.
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
The socialization process has a tremendous influence on the way we think, self-determine ourselves, interact with society and establish social norms (stereotypes). The impact of social norms on women in Uzbekistan is significant. They affect almost all social, economic, and political areas and in their negative manifestation, they heavily contribute to inequalities between women and men. The Education 2030 agenda recognizes that gender equality requires an approach that 'ensures that girls and boys, women and men not only gain access to and complete education cycles but are empowered equally in and through education’1. Gender equality, in all areas of life, is a fundamental human right that positively influences not only girls and women but every single member of society. Despite all guarantees of providing and establishing equal opportunities for girls and women, improvements are slow and insubstantial and worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, women and girls are at high risk of experiencing abuse, poverty, illiteracy, being stigmatized by society, and being less presented in leadership positions as well as STEM and IT education.
Family:
Family is the starting point for developing social and cultural stereotypes and establishing how we will interact with the world by being the central mechanism of socialization and social integration. To achieve gender equality, increase women's empowerment, and provide more equal opportunities for girls, it is crucial to incorporate and understand the cultural roles of parents, other family members, their values, goals, social and cultural norms, and to what extent they contribute to Patriarchal social norms Social norms play a crucial role in establishing gender prejudices towards girls and women and influence their personal development. For example, in patriarchal societies from birth, social and cultural norms teach girls to be patient, and submissive, have smaller expectations and opportunities in life, and be oriented to taking care of their husbands, children, and other family members. These social norms limit girls' opportunities and potential, influence their communication skills, and networking abilities, and make unwanted choices in personal, professional, and academic areas of life.
Education:
Many studies show the importance of gender awareness in education and family environments in helping children explore whom they want to be in the future, encouraging girls to obtain professions that they are passionate about, such as STEM, IT, Innovations, and others. The provision of equal opportunities for girls in the education system changes stereotypical attitudes in society. It positively changes women's roles in different areas, such as the labor market, family, culture, and community. Even though women's rights have improved significantly, the majority of women are still left behind compared to men in their educational and professional accomplishments. There are great examples of women playing an essential role as a source of human capital and role models for other girls. However, these examples are more exceptions and are not common in society overall.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
During the last several years, Gender issues were not a high priority of the government’s agenda. No studies on gender equality were conducted during the last several decades. When the new government came 5 years ago, Gender issues were identified as one of the main areas of development in different areas of society. During the last year Accelerator Lab in Uzbekistan successfully tested out the gender-based initiative #CallUmida (safe streets for women and girls). Moreover, we explored other areas where we can add value propositions in terms of gender issues. Exploration and collective intelligence sessions with UNDP colleagues and external partners, as well as a review of social media, made us realize that in order to start experimenting in the area of Gender in Uzbekistan, we need avoidances and sometimes not only negative but look on the problem from the different perspective, especially when we talk about young women in STEM education and profession. When society and development organizations talk about Gender equality, they usually bring up negative aspects of stereotypes and their influences on the groups. In AccLab we decided to change the approach and show the positive aspects/deviances that make girls join STEM forces, presenting them as role models for other young women, families, communities, media, and society. We decided to connect with girls and women who are already in STEM and ask what made them pursue their education and careers in such an “unpopular” field for women. We have in mind that when people are shown good examples, they tend to follow them and change their behaviors toward the role of girls and women in our society.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
UNDP AccLab Team @UNDP Uzbekistan is moving forward with the study on identifying positive deviances of girls in #STEM. One of the phases focus-group interviews with amazing, talented girls in STEM at INHA University. Insightful talks on what role STEM plays in their lives.
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
National Gender committee of Uzbekistan (based in Senate)
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
National Gender Committee – can support the overall representation of the results and test out possible solutions based on the gained results from the survey. This is the main agency that is leading all gender-based initiatives in the country.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
- Ministry for development of IT and Communications
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Ministry of ICT can support raising awareness of the results and be partners in conducting studies in identifying stereotypes in mass/social media. Designing TV programs on girls and women in STEM; partnering in mentorship programs, as well as capacity development of media staff on gender-sensitive topics, etc.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
- IT Park
What sector does our partner belong to?
Government (&related)
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
IT Park has capacity in designing and providing mentorship programs. They could be a future platform for girls who want to be STEM field.
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the Parter:
- Academia/Universities
What sector does our partner belong to?
Academia
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Academia – Universities could help raise awareness for girls in STEM and provide wider opportunities
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
Yes
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
What social/demographic and personal factors influence girls and women to choose STEM areas of education and work?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Sense, Explore
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Results of using mentioned above tools will be one of the first gathered data that was conducted in the last several decades in Uzbekistan that will cover gender-based issues, specifically girls and women in STEM field. Furthermore, it will help us to answer the identified learning questions
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Survey that covers three main regions in the country - first gender based study by using mentioned above methods on girls in women in STEM
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
What is the best way to address to society the importance of involving more girls in the STEM field?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Explore
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Results of these methods: survey, interviews and focus group will be one of the first data that was conducted in the last several decades in Uzbekistan that will cover gender-based issues, specifically girls and women in STEM field. Furthermore, it will help us to answer the identified learning questions
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Currently there is no reliable data on gender issues, especially on girls and women in STEM education and profession in Uzbekistan. This study will provide one of the first data on the addressed learning questions.
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
How positives solutions of girls and women in STEM can change the behavioral attitudes with the families, society etc.?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Test, Grow
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Results of these methods: survey, interviews and focus group will be one of the first data that was conducted in the last several decades in Uzbekistan that will cover gender-based issues, specifically girls and women in STEM field. Furthermore, it will help us to answer the identified learning questions
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Currently there is no reliable data on gender issues, especially on girls and women in STEM education and profession in Uzbekistan. This study will provide one of the first data on the addressed learning questions.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
The objectives of the initiative are to spotlight the misbalances and challenges in women’s education and career tracks in Uzbekistan in the context of cultural, social, economic, or other settings and to test potential solutions to address the issues. The initiative specifically aims to track factors with positive and implement interventions which can trigger behavioral changes, empower women and girls in their education and careers, as well as contribute to general awareness on the associated issues. The anticipated outputs of the initiative are the following:
• Identifying factors resulting in the deviations in women’s education/career applying positive deviances analysis based on:
1. Focus group interviews
2. Deep interviews
3. Survey
Phase II:
Phase II will build on the results of the Phase I. In this stage insights and learnings will be mainstreamed broadly as well as in a targeted manner through an individual mentorship program by selected role models, training programs, and various awareness-raising activities.
Mentorship program by role models (if possible, as a pilot media show on TV):
A mentorship program will be developed based on the results of the positive/negative deviance studies. Successful behaviors and strategies will be promoted through tailored mentorship programs for young women. The plan is to engage selected role-models - prominent women in STEM areas and women entrepreneurs. If agreements are reached, the mentorship program will be formatted as a TV show to be aired on one of the mainstream TV channels.
Training and guidelines for media representatives:
The results of the analysis of gender stereotypes will be used in developing training courses and guidelines for media representatives on avoiding gender bias and stereotypes, and gender-mainstreaming in their work.
Training and guidelines for educational institutions/families:
The results of the studies will also be used in developing training and guidelines for educational institutions, communities, and families to promote the successful behaviors and strategies in supporting advancement of young women’s education and careers.
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4Quality education
5Gender equality
10Reduced innequalities
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