The STEM Gap:
Are We Actually Driving Meaningful Progress Towards Global Gender Equity?
According to the UN, women hold only 2 in every 10 science, engineering and information and communication technology jobs globally, they represent only 30% of those in senior technology and engineering positions, and only 16.5% of patents are granted to women.
At this pace:
As part of the International Women's Day 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme, we held a panel with Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Results Canada, and 1Billion Africa that explored how the pursuit of equal opportunities can sometimes be exclusionary, rather than inclusive. What is the real difference between equity and equality, and why is it important to understand, acknowledge and value this difference? What should Canada be doing to further break barriers? What does an effective gender-responsive approach to innovation, technology, and formal and vocational education look like on a global scale?
WATCH THE PANEL REPLAY
THE PANELISTS:
Soronko Serwaa Agyemang is the Project Team Officer (Partnership and Logistics) at 1Billion Africa, an organisation established in Accra, Ghana in 2013 with a core objective to empower Africa’s youth to find problems within their communities to turn into social impact and business projects. Their mission, to implement and inspire sustainable projects in Africa, has led them to impactful projects such as STEM4Africa (S4A), implemented by 1BA and partners in the Hwidiem Community, to engage, including through mentorship, 965 upper primary and Junior High Schools students from 9 schools.
Lindsay Sheridan is the Senior Advisor of Policy and Parliamentary Affairs at Results Canada, where she leads the quality education pillar for the organization. Last year she was elected the co-chair of the Canadian International Education Policy Working Group (CIEPWG). Lindsay completed her Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Waterloo, where she studied the importance of engaging in meaningful partnership across civil society, the private sector and government, while researching peacebuilding practices to support settler and indigenous relationship-building. After graduation, she worked on Parliament Hill as a staffer supporting a Member of Parliament in her role as critic for international human rights and on committee before moving to Results Canada where she creates advocacy strategies, mobilizes the volunteer network, engages in policy dialogue and influence parliamentarians to take action to end extreme poverty.
Musu Taylor-Lewis directs Canadian Foodgrains Bank's resource and public engagement department. She combines her education and prior experience in community economic development, communications and theology to motivate Canadians to get involved in the Foodgrains Bank’s work of ending global hunger. Prior to joining the Foodgrains Bank in 2018, Musu worked for over a decade with faith-based and public sector organizations in British Columbia.
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Engineers Without Borders's policy and advocacy work is all about empowering young leaders to influence Canada's global impact, directing its resources, policies, and institutions deliberately to provide inclusive and transformative support. For twenty years, the community of Engineers Without Borders staff, chapters and volunteers have been working to make change locally in Canada and globally.
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