Tuesday, 11th February, 2025
Hon Rita Naa Odoley Sowah
Dadekotopon
Thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science; a day that highlights the need for gender equality in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Last year, in this august House, I highlighted the critical role of women in STEM and the persistent barriers hindering their full participation. Today, I reaffirm our commitment to breaking these barriers and empowering women and girls in Science.
Ghana has made notable strides in promoting gender inclusivity in Science. We celebrate outstanding women such as our very own, Dr Grace AyensuDanquah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Essikadu-Ketan, who has made remarkable contributions to medicine and public health. As a double boardcertified surgeon, with expertise in trauma and reconstructive surgery, she has dedicated her career to saving lives both in Ghana and abroad. She is the founder of Healing Hands International which provides free medical care to underserved communities. Additionally, she has made history as a parliamentarian, and continues to advocate for improved healthcare policies.
Mr Speaker, we also recognise Dr Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, an educationist and policy leader whose advocacy has strengthened STEM education policies in Ghana. As a deputy Director-General at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), she has influenced national education reforms and promoted STEM opportunities for young girls. Her work with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and various educational institutions has been vital in ensuring gender inclusivity in Science and Technology.
Additionally, we celebrate our popular Maths and Science Quiz mistress, Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann, a leader in engineering education at the University of Ghana, and many other distinguished female scientists who continue to inspire future generations. However, despite these remarkable achievements, women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM. According to the 2024 Ghana Statistical Service Report, women constitute only 24 per cent of professionals in STEM-related fields, with even lower participation in engineering and Computer Sciences. The gap is wider in rural areas, where cultural and financial barriers prevent young girls from accessing quality science education.
Mr Speaker, we cannot afford to leave half of our population behind in this rapidly advancing technological era. I, therefore, call on the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation to enhance policies that support STEM education for girls. The Government’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Schools Initiative is a commendable step, but we must ensure these efforts reach underserved communities.
Mr Speaker, fostering an interest in Science begins at an early age. Research shows that girls are just as capable as boys in Mathematics and Science, yet societal stereotypes and a lack of female role models discourage them from pursuing careers in these fields. I urge the Ghana Education Service (GES) to integrate mentorship programmes into the curriculum, connecting young girls with accomplished women scientists who can inspire and guide them. Furthermore,
Mr Speaker, the private sector and academic institutions must actively support women-led research and innovation. Science and technology drive economic growth, and Ghana cannot reach its full potential if we continue to sideline the talents of half our population. I encourage the establishment of more effective research grants and incubator programmes, specifically for female scientists and entrepreneurs.
Mr Speaker, let us reaffirm our collective commitment to empowering women and girls in Science, ensuring that they are not just participants but leaders in shaping Ghana’s scientific and technological future. A nation that invests in its women invest in progress, and Ghana must lead by example.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker for the opportunity.
Hon Patricia Appiagyei
Asokwa
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and I would like to wish everyone in the science field a happy anniversary. It is the 10th Anniversary celebration of Women and Girls in Science.
Mr Speaker, Ghana has made notable strides in Science, and I would like to thank the maker of this Statement for taking notice of such commendable actions that have been made by a number of our women who are already in Science. I must say that, in Ghana, inclusion of girls and women in Science education remains significantly very low, but it is important that we make certain efforts and take certain strides to ensure that the challenges that ranges from gender stereotyping, lack of role models, cultural perceptions, financial constraints, and limited mentorship opportunities are made away with.
Mr Speaker, many young girls, particularly in the rural areas, still face systematic barriers, preventing them from pursuing STEM education. The underrepresentation is a critical challenge that must be addressed if we are to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s theme is a call to action; a commitment to do something unscathing to unearth the potential of every girl and woman who aspires to contribute towards the world of Science.
Mr Speaker, you would agree with me that the way we speak about Science, it is a way of living. And it is important to break down the barriers of cultural stereotypes, economic constraints, and systemic barriers and bias that limit female participation in STEM fields.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the GES, must introduce and implement STEM friendly curriculum at the primary and the secondary level
According to the Ghana Education Service, early exposure is critical in sparking interest and building competencies in Science among girls and women in our country.
Mr Speaker, the Government must expand scholarship opportunities specifically, for girls pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related courses at both secondary and tertiary levels. A dedicated STEM scholarship can help alleviate the financial barriers that many young women face.
Also, in collaboration with the private sector, industries must be encouraged to show interest in mentorship programmes, internship and research gains that support the generation of female scientists.
We need to collaborate and promote the achievements of Ghanaian women in science initiatives. Highlighted role models can inspire and provide tangible proofs that success in STEM is achievable.
Mr Speaker, there is something that we need to take cognisance of; we know that there have been — the maker of Statement has mentioned about three distinguished individuals who have contributed successfully in the Science space. I would also love to add my voice in celebrating women like the Vice
Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof Rita Akosua Dickson, for the role she plays when they are admitting students into the science courses. She takes particular interest to ensure that girls, especially those from the vulnerable areas like the villages who have shown clear intelligence, whether they are able to financially support their education, she makes sure that she takes them in and ensures that they are wellequipped with computers.
She also gives them some level of scholarships to ensure that they would be able to pursue the Science courses very well.
I would also like to mention one Prof Ibok Oduro. She is one of the people who has been the first Dean of the General Sciences Department, and she has shown interest in instituting a programme which is total technology for girls initiative; equipping young women with essential skills in coding, robotics and digital literacy. These are the women that we need in our society to ensure that they can adequately promote the needs of children.
I can also name one, Dr Peggy OtiBoateng, who is the Director of Science in Africa for UNESCO, and the current Director of African Academy of Sciences who has been instrumental in narrowing the gender gap in STEM through initiatives like Girls in Science Empowerment Initiative.
These are the people that we need to celebrate. We also need more role models because if we do not identify these role models and showcase them appropriately, there would be no interest developed by our young girls and women to ensure that we incorporate science into our way of living and whatever we do. I believe that if we are able to do it, this year, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary, each and everyone here should sit down and imagine a world where we have scientists in every aspect of our economy and how science situate in our way of doing things.
I would like to commend the maker of the Statement and add my voice that we should all imagine if we have women in all aspects of our discipline, embarking on the approach of adopting science in whatever we do, we would be able to make great strides in our economic development.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, thank you.
Hon Kwame Twumasi Ampofo
Sene West
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity and I would also commend the maker of the Statement.
Mr Speaker, science and technology drives the world therefore, it is important for us to appreciate and support our lecturers or those in science. Science and technology are practical therefore, our women need to be encouraged.
Mr Speaker, if we are able to encourage them and they are able to do more, when they complete school, they do not struggle to get jobs. Because, nowadays, the world is all about science and technology.
Mr Speaker, we know our science and technology cannot be done away with. These days, everything is moving with technology therefore we are encouraging our women or ladies to be involved. We need to advise and give them the hope so that they can be in there.
A lot of ladies are afraid of science but these days, science is moving the world. We should also help our lecturers; we should give them the necessary support, equip them and give them whatever it takes so that they can do more research. They should be given more money for research for them to also compete with the world so that they can do more in science and technology to help our ladies.
Mr Speaker, I do not want to say much but if you go to KNUST, there are a lot of science programmes. Even now we have a lot of polytechnics or technical universities rolling out science programmes and most of the students come out without struggling for jobs. Therefore, I think it is important for us to support science and technology.
Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you very much for the support. I would welcome my students from Kwame Danso. I have learnt that two of them are sick and they are in the clinic so I am going to take care of them. Thank you.
Hon Fred Kyei Asamoah
Offinso North
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity and let me commend the maker of the Statement regarding the International Day for Women and Girls in Science.
The theme as stated was, “Unpacking STEM careers; her voice in science”.
Mr Speaker, in this country, it looks like we have more women than men.
But many a time, we tend to have more men in jobs than women after the adolescent age. STEM is like a product that one is selling. How one packages and sells it is how it can be bought, and I believe many a time, our women tend to look at more female-dominated careers when they leave primary education. As such, it informs the kind of programme they tend to offer.
Mr Speaker, there has to be some consequential measures that we should take as a country. Other than that, it would remain an annual event and we would make Statements, and we would come back 10 years later to the same story.
Mr Speaker, as a country, I believe we have a STEM policy. How can we make this policy more biased so that the parity that we have been able to achieve in our second cycle education can be achieved in the STEM careers? This is because every nation would do well and be very competitive depending on the number of people they have in STEM education, especially at the tertiary level.
Mr Speaker, if we also want to talk about good Technical, Vocational and Skill Training (TVET) education, that means we need a very grounded system in our STEM education because a good STEM person can be a good TVET person.
Mr Speaker, I believe that we should not just make this Statement, but we should require the Ministry of Education to give us some measures or strategic direction that can help us to look at some numbers and objectives. This is so that 10 years from now, when we are sitting in this Chamber, we can review and go back to see how much we have been to improve on our STEM education as far as women and girls are concerned. How attractive are we making STEM education to our girls while they are young? How are we making STEM education attractive to our girls while they are in second cycle education?
Many a time, we tend to have more girls in Arts-biased or non-science programmes. What informs it? It is because the basis is not grounded enough and they say they are not attracted to Mathematics and maybe, the languages? If we can make it attractive and ensure that they are all doing well at the primary level, when they get to the second cycle institutions, their willingness to opt for STEM education would be something that would be easy.
Mr Speaker, as we commend the maker of the Statement, we should not just make these Statements, but as a country, we need to have some direction and a level we want to achieve or where we want to get to as far as parity is concerned when it comes to STEM education. In fact, when a woman is in STEM education, their perfection is such that it cannot be matched by most men. This is a very critical thing that we have to take note of.
Many a time, we do not pay attention to those within the small towns, which we call “the villages”, and that is where a lot of girls also come from. So, they do not get the foundation, and it becomes very difficult for them to compete when they get to the second cycle level. Please, let us take a relook and pay some more attention to those in the small towns, so that we can prepare them to be very competitive at the second cycle level.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Mark Kurt Nawaane
Nabdam
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is set aside to encourage more girls and women to study Science and take up jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The gender equality that we are talking about is not only limited to the political area; it is also taken in the area of Science.
Mr Speaker, the theme for this particular year is “Accelerate Action”. In other words, we have found out that the women have been left behind. If we take developed countries, like where I studied, Russia, when it comes to medicine, it is a course for women. If one is in a class of 10 students, there are about seven or eight of them being women and only two being males. In Ghana, I believe the system is also becoming like that, where there are a lot of girls now being admitted for the medical courses.
As I speak, my two daughters are studying medicine in University of Ghana Medical School (UGMC) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Medical Sciences. But when it comes to engineering, that is where the problem still is in Ghana; most women do not pick up the engineering courses.
So, we should take steps to ensure that as parents, we encourage our women to pick up those courses. When they even finish and are employed, I understand that there is some form of discrimination as they progress up the ladder.
Either the pay is not equal or when it comes to appointing something like—In mining, for example, there are women who are mine captains and probably, ship bosses, but when it comes to appointing them as underground managers, they do not appoint them. This is where we should be—As a nation, we should try and correct it.
Mr Speaker, in Ghana, the contribution of women in science, like other contributors have already mentioned, is not small. When I was doing my housemanship, we had one Professor Afua Adwo Jectey Hesse, a Paediatric Surgeon, who was doing marvelously well. That was about 30 years ago, and she was already a professor and a paediatric surgeon. What men can do, probably women can do it better.
If we take going to space, Valentina Tereshkova of Russia is also a cosmonaut; that is somebody who has joined the men to also go to space. She studied Mathematics, Physics, et cetera, like the men, to qualify to go to space, like any other person.
We need to encourage our women because they form about 51 per cent of the population. Unless we pull them along or unless we carry them along, we would only be developing less than half or less than 50 per cent of our workforce.
Hon Grace Ayensu-Danquah
Essikadu-Ketan
Mr Speaker, I thank you, and I thank my Sister, the Hon Member for Dadekotopon, for the commendation. Thank you to the rest of the contributors as well. I tend to agree with most of the statements that have been made.
Mr Speaker, for those of us who are women in science and technology, it is an arduous, tedious, and very long journey that we have to go through.
As a surgeon specialist, I have gone through maybe 17 years of post-graduate education just to be a surgeon specialist, and it is very difficult for girls, especially when it comes to cultural norms and the things that girls are expected to do. It makes science very difficult for us. So, I would go on a different angle and talk about mentorship.
Mr Speaker, I think that on a personal note, all the women in this room must take exceptional interest in young girls who want to go into science. Oftentimes, women do not see other women as mentors, and so we should really make an effort to do that. In my Constituency, because I find myself as one of the few women in my field, I try to even go and teach in the schools. I go to primary schools and teach Science. Maybe it is just basic biology. Sometimes, I go to the Secondary Schools and I give speeches. Sometimes, it depends—I have a girl group, and I have monthly meetings with them just to encourage them to stay in science. Because of our cultural norms, it gets very difficult, and oftentimes girls need other girls to support them. We also need men whom I call “He-for-Shes” who would support the women and encourage our young girls to get into science. It is a difficult field; it is not easy, and oftentimes, when one looks at the traditional ways that girls are expected to live, it makes it very difficult.
Mr Speaker, I commend again, the maker of the Statement, and I am also humbled and appreciative that she brought my name up as one of the women in science. I also would like to reassure the House and my constituents that I would continue to be an example for women, and not just for women in science, but basically women in education. I would continue to champion that cause within the Constituency.
Mr Speaker, thank you again
Hon Laadi Ayii Ayamba
Pusiga
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement ably made by my Colleague, Ms Sowah.
Mr Speaker, the issue of Science, Technology and Mathematics is something that has been long overdue. We have been discussing these issues day in, day out for long years. It is quite difficult. Many a time, when one goes back to the schools, they would realise that stereotyping is one of the issues that discourage the girl child. On this, I would say we need to involve the Science teachers as much as we can. Just as my Colleague, Prof Ayensu-Danquah, has just stated, we need to involve them and also support them so that they would pull along the girl child. It is good that we catch them young.
Mr Speaker, in the good old days, when I was in the classroom, we had something like science corners. In the classroom, a corner was created with so many items there to teach simple things that are needed at that particular level by the teacher, and children took interest. When one catches them young, they definitely would go along with them. There is also one issue that we should not forget.
Sometimes, it is the funding because some items are bought. If the school does not have them, when the little they have is done with, they are unable to do a lot of practical work. So, we need to support the schools so that they would get the materials that are needed.
Mr Speaker, the girl child is always ready to learn, especially when the encouragement is there. When I talk of encouragement, I mean support. Also, if the teachers are able to help them understand that they are more or less equal with their colleague boys, it would go a long way to help. We may think it is that easy, but because we have not caught many of them young, they get halfway, then they stop.
I was very enthused on 20th February, 2024, when I saw on television, a whole crew of only women who flew PassionAir from Tamale to Accra. The flight was OP 178. I was so happy that I remained glued to the television even after they had ended talking about it. I was wowed. I knew for sure that if passengers had been told that it was only women who were going to fly the aircraft from Accra to Tamale and an option had been given, I would not be surprised that some people would have declined. But they did it; hurray to them! They did very well.
The captain was Captain Eva Gichuru. Later in the day, that same evening, they had another flight from Accra to Kumasi at about 6.44 p.m. If we give the same opportunity to both boys and girls, and understand that both girls and boys have the same learning ability, I think that— As we have always said, we do not intend to take everything away from the men, but we would strive to the extent of doing better than the men.
Mr Speaker, just as has been said, I would encourage us MPs to also take it upon ourselves to check in on our schools. Where the girl child is doing well, we should encourage and support them, and also talk with the teachers, especially now that we have special teachers; in those days, it was general subjects, but now, we have specific teachers for Science and Mathematics. We can talk with them, support them and give them the necessary encouragement, and I think it would go a long way to help us.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh
Nsawam/Adoagyiri
Mr Speaker, I am grateful to you for recognising me. Let me commend our Colleague, MP for Dadekotopon, who nudged this House by bringing subject matter to the House floor.
Mr Speaker, I would say just a few words and probably take it from where my Colleague ended on the role of teachers—now they are called facilitators—and their role in this whole advocacy and the scheme of things in terms of girl child education in science. Mr Speaker, I am all for it. I think it is a good advocacy.
However, we also need to tread with a bit of caution.
Where a lady or a girl is strongly averted to a particular subject area,it must not be the case that necessarily that girl should be pushed in the area of science because our children are gifted in diverse ways, and so is the Creator himself who gives gifts in diverse ways. So, there are people who would be gifted in the area of science—do not get me wrong,I am not saying we should not encourage them in the area of science— but it must not be mandatory that all girls must necessarily be pushed onto that tangent. Where the talents and gifts are different, we must appreciate it as such and so is the Creator himself.
Mr Speaker, there has been a policy on T-VET, and governments that have come and gone have blazed the trail in this direction. There has also been a policy in the area of STEM and girl child education in the area of science. The question and challenge have always been the oxygen to prosecute this. So, we would call on the Ministry that if it is something that finds favour with them, the necessary support—and this House has the mandate; Our Committee on Education can require the Ministry to take this as a variable in their scheme of things. After all, we now have free SHS which has come to stay, and we should be able to get the necessary support from the Ministry for science education. It should be one of our flagship educational projects as a country.
Mr Speaker, the teaching of science has always been a challenge in our schools because we do not relate. The Americans are where they are because of hands-on education. We often tend to allow these concepts to be seen as some abstract concept so when my Hon Colleague was mentioning the role of teachers, I was touched and felt it is an area we must pay attention to. There should be a conscious, dedicated effort to direct the effort of our teachers and facilitators. We must teach our kids via hands on. Chemistry, chemical reactions, and physics concepts must be demystified. It is our way of life. In preparing okro soup, there is chemistry there, the pepper we put in reacts with the tomatoes and the oil—that is how we should relate, and they must come to appreciate that science is nothing but our way of life. Once they are able to appreciate it, then they can get creative to be able to come up with initiatives.
Mr Speaker, for me, that is the way out because science without the ability to resolve our problems is nothing. If we teach them all the science theories and they imbibe all the theories and cannot resolve our daily life problems with these science principles, then we are not making progress as a country. For me, that is the crust of it and if we can focus on hands-on education for our girls to appreciate—because there is a lot of science in the kitchen. They do not need to go far, the examples are in the kitchen; the examples can be demonstrated practically in the kitchen and when they do that, they can better appreciate the concept of science education.
Mr Speaker, our goal should be towards ensuring that when the science concepts are taught and demystified, it should lead to problem solving, it should be able to solve problems in our lives otherwise, we would not make progress as a country.
I want to commend the maker of the Statement and I think that going forward, probably, Mr Speaker, I would not invite you to make any consequential directives. When the Committee on Education is finally formed, this is a matter they have to take up in their daily deliberations especially in the area of getting facilitators to teach this science concept with a hands-on approach and in a manner that solves our daily lives. I think if we are able to do this, then we would be making meaningful efforts towards solving our problems.
hat when you educate a woman, you educate an entire nation. That is not a lost on us, but the necessary funding which would serve as the oxygen to prosecute this business must not be denied of this challenge.
Mr Speaker, I thank you and I commend the maker of the Statement. I am grateful.
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