In our study we tried to answer the question: “How to empower girls and young women to choose STEM education and retain themselves in STEM”? The main insights that were obtained based on the findings of the STEM report were divided on three levels.  micro level, it is recommended to: 1. develop interest in STEM professions through the presentation of role models (girls and women from Uzbekistan studying STEM,engaged in STEM professions) in social media, popular science TV channels, TEDTalks programs and speeches. 2. develop girls and young women’s self-efficacy, perseverance in achieving goals, self-control, and reflection as personal qualities through their engagement in school-based personal growth training programs, as well as in computer skills training programs, programming skills programs, and competitions to create mobile applications for the population. 3. Build interest and motivation for STEM professions and related identity among girls in younger school and teenage years by engaging them in various STEM-related programs. meso-level, it is recommended to: 1. for schools to introduce parents to the prospect of engaging children in STEM professions through joint field classes, meetings with parents engaged in STEM professions. 2. create a system of cooperation between technical universities and industrial enterprises, aimed at further employment of female graduates and mentoring of female students by employees of professional organizations. 3. improve professional orientation programs in general education institutions, which will contribute to the empowerment of girls in their choice of profession. macro level, it is recommended to: 1. to implement further policies to support women’s education in higher, secondary specialized and professional educational institutions in Uzbekistan at the legal and regulatory level. 2. allocate special grants and scholarships, internships on specialty in leading foreign HEIs and enterprises for female students and young women scientists.

Report and findings were presented at the end of November and we have received a high interest from our public partners and UNDP colleagues . The work has not been yet scaled but the plan is scale up recommendations that were obtained in the report.

Focus-group interviews and in-depth interviews as a qualitative method provided to our study a large data that included different perceptions, insights, attitudes and other information of STEM education and profession among girls and women. Paper Surveys  (sociological and psychological questionnaires) – as quantitative method helped us to collect information from large pool of respondents (450) and validate information/results that were gathered from the focus-group and in-depth interviews.

Ethnography – through the interviews among different groups of respondents to understand the environment of the respondents that are involved/engage directly or indirectly with STEM activities. Proof of Concept – provided evidence that the idea of STEM study is spot by gathering insights from the team and experts in this area. Visual thinking – used among girls in STEM that allowed us to see their ideas and plans  about the future in STEM with the help of visual art and imagery.  

combination of applied methods and data, support from the Academia and other private sectors where we conducted survey and in-depth interviews helped us to prepare first results in STEM study in Uzbekistan. There is high interest not only from our national partners but also from other UN agencies and IDOs that participated at the event.