Past Events
“Jaago: STEM Awareness Workshop Girls Leading STEM for Sustainable Futures
Background and Rationale
As STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields increasingly shape the jobs of tomorrow, India’s rise as a leading exporter of STEM talent stands in sharp contrast to the persistent gender gaps that remain. Globally, women comprise just 28.2 percent of the STEM workforce, compared to 47.3 percent in non-STEM sectors.
In India, the picture reflects both progress and persistent challenges. Women account for around 43 percent of STEM graduates, yet their representation in the STEM workforce drops sharply to just 27 percent. This “leaky pipeline” highlights systemic attrition, with many girls opting out of STEM pathways between school, higher education, and entry into careers.
At the school level, encouraging trends are beginning to emerge. In 2024, 28.13 lakh girls cleared Class 12 in the science stream, surpassing female pass-outs in the arts for the first time. Girls represented 46 percent of all Class 12 science pass-outs, up from 42 percent in 2021. While this marks a positive shift in aspirations and subject choices, translating these academic gains into sustained participation in higher education and the workforce remains a significant challenge – one that becomes even more evident when looking at regional realities.
In Maharashtra, for example, dropout rates remain a concern: in the 2024–25 academic year, 12.6 percent of boys and 10.3 percent of girls in standards IX–X left school. For girls in government schools in Pune, these dropout patterns often intersect with limited exposure to STEM resources, reinforcing the need for targeted interventions that sustain their interest and engagement in science and mathematics during these critical years.
Collaboration with UNESCO
UNESCO, with its longstanding leadership in advancing gender equality in STEM, is working to bridge these gaps and ensure that girls remain engaged and supported throughout their educational journey. This approach combines evidence-based research with high-visibility campaigns that both inspire young learners and mobilize wider communities to take action.
Initiatives such as the STEM and Gender Advancement (SAGA) equip governments with tools to identify barriers and design inclusive policies, while the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Reports continue to spotlight how gender disparities undermine progress toward SDG 4 and SDG 5.
At the same time, UNESCO’s global campaigns bring these issues into the public imagination. The “Imagine a World Without Women in Science” campaign urged audiences to picture a world where medical breakthroughs, technological innovations, or sustainability solutions lacked women’s voices – a powerful reminder of what is at stake if gender inequities persist. Likewise, the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science programme, which has celebrated outstanding women scientists since 1998, not only honours excellence but also creates visible role models who inspire younger girls to pursue science.
These advocacy efforts underscore UNESCO’s conviction that STEM competence goes beyond academic knowledge and equips all learners, especially girls, with skills for sustainable living, ethical innovation, and equitable futures. By linking STEM learning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNESCO promotes a vision of education where girls see themselves as future engineers of the green transition, ethical leaders in artificial intelligence, and innovators in their own communities.
To make STEM relevant to girls’ daily lives and aspirations, Symbiosis Skills and Professional University (SSPU) in partnership with UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, is piloting a two-day workshop in Pune on three themes: Robotics, Green Skills & Artificial Intelligence, and Health & Well-Being.
By combining mentorship, scholarships, and hands-on projects under the umbrella of sustainability, the workshop will equip 60 girls from Classes 9 and 10 in government schools with practical skills while affirming UNESCO’s call to reimagine STEM as a field where every girl belongs and every girl can lead.
Participants
Participants will include SSPU university students and girls from Classes 9 and 10 in government schools, along with development partners, regional organizations, philanthropic foundations, civil society groups, and youth influencers. Mentor Together, private sector partners, and media representatives will also take part in the discussions.
Venue, Format and Programme Design
The workshop will take place on 16-17 January 2026 in person at Symbiosis Skills & Professional University, Pune, in a workshop format designed to combine STEM awareness, skills, and mentorship.
Over two days, students will embark on a structured learning journey built around their interests. They will learn about India’s green economy and sustainability, artificial intelligence, robotics, nutrition, and healthcare. Career pathways in emerging STEM fields including EVs, AI, logistics, marketing, and healthcare will be showcased through hands-on sessions. In addition, students will be introduced to scholarship opportunities and support mechanisms that can help them pursue further studies in STEM.
The journey will follow a credit-based model, with students earning points for participation, teamwork, and reflection, which can be exchanged for UNESCO merchandise at the end of the programme. Each group of 10 girls will be guided by a selected SSPU student mentor.
Mentors will be chosen based on a short survey mapping girls’ interests, barriers, and aspirations. Supported by university professors, these mentors will accompany their teams through the sessions and foster a peer-to-peer learning environment.