Foundation tasks gov’t on enabling environment for girls

By Stanley Onyekwere

An Abuja based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Helpline Foundation for the Needy has called on government to foster enabling environment, so as to improve access for girls and women education and participation in various fields of science.

Also, the Foundation while urging parents to encourage their girls to study science related subjects, equally called on teachers to devote their time to teach the girl child and concentrate more on them.

President and founder of the Foundation, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, who made this point recently, particularly stressed the need for donor agencies to maintain gender equality and inclusiveness in grants giving and scholarships, so that girls and women can maximise their potentials in science.

Ahmadu, who spoke through Onoja Arome Godwin,

Coordinator , Special Programme of the Foundation, noted that a significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. 

She added that even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in the STEM fields.

She further explained that girls and women irrespective of how oppressed their situations are, have been participating and contributing to national development from the scientific angles since the beginning of the awareness campaigns.