Ever stopped to ask yourself what you could possibly do to contribute to increasing the number (and most definitely, the impact) of women in science, tech, engineering, and math fields? If one takes a bird’s eye-view of the problem of female seclusion, it appears to be a really massive problem (and it is!), but this does not at all imply that it is incurable. After all, if we folded our arms in resignation, at the sight of any tough problems, we would probably never have dared to make fire in the first place.

Interestingly enough, there are no outright laws preventing women from taking the lead (or even being mere participants) in scientific fields. In fact, quite to the contrary, CEDAW and a host of well-meaning bodies are coming up with a fair number of women-empowering laws, regulations, and directive policies. While these policies are effective, and we can be sure the world would be a whole lot worse than it is, were it not for them, the truth is that, there is a definite limit to the possibility of an external solution resolving an organic issue.

The issues debarring women from being a full part of STEM fields is not a tangible one, and it is not enough to implement a policy and instantly have them disappear! Of course, more than a few organisations have found that, being compelled to apply a certain distribution quota to their workforce has proven more beneficial than detrimental to the improvement of the business, nevertheless, you too often find that organizations will employ no more than the bare minimum of women required by law, and therein lies the true problem; our minds are unconsciously fixated on the notion that the woman is just that little less than a man.

Once one recognizes how all-pervading this awful mindset is, one is able to properly appreciate the scope of the problem, and that is a definite step towards correcting the situation. The first step is to begin a decisive reeducation within oneself; consciously set out to remove all thoughts, notions =, and ideas within yourself that indicate women are lesser than men. Granted, women indeed are different from men, not just biologically, but there’s a distinct difference is approach to aesthetics and problem-solving. But different is not sub-par, and that is a fact that should be at the forefront of your mind.

Keep an eye out for even the mildest notions and actions that carelessly encourage discrimination between the sexes. This means you don’t impose a certain type of toy on the girl child, and you make conscious effort to stamp out the ‘damsel in distress’ syndrome. Every human being is unique in and of themselves, and while we might have certain things in common, our differences still make us who we are, and thus, must be expressed.