Women and men graduate in almost equal numbers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees in Egypt, yet far fewer women pursue careers in these fields, a study on women in STEM in Egypt by the British Council in 2021 revealed.
Globally, women are underrepresented in STEM fields, according to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This gender inequality in STEM persists in most countries, regardless of their level of development.
This global trend is mirrored in Egypt, as the disparity between women who study STEM areas and pursue a career in it, as opposed to those who study and do not, is significant in Egypt.
Disparity Between Genders in STEM
Women comprised 48 percent of the total number of graduates in STEM subjects in 2015 in Egypt, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAMPAS) reported. While women’s participation in STEM education at the university level is notable, integrating them into the workforce is challenging.
“In the final exams for my diploma, I was the only student who passed the final test for a machine learning course, which should have made me eligible for a certain job opportunity that I, along with other students, interviewed for,” Amira Rashad, a 31-year-old web developer told Egyptian Streets.
Rashad, who holds a bachelor’s degree in geophysics and a diploma in geographic information systems (GIS) from the Information Technology Institute (ITI), stated that after she aced her test and the interview, she learned that the company was not looking for female applicants.
“While I do think there are opportunities for women and a very high demand in STEM,” Rashad said, “having been the only qualified person for the job in this incident felt so unfair.”
Sixty-one percent of STEM professionals reported, according to a British Council 2021 study, that being a woman had impacted their studies, compared to just 34 percent of students. Most professional women noted that gender bias was most evident in being overlooked for promotion, unclear job expectations, inflexible hours, deliberate exclusion, and workplace stereotyping.
The Gender Gap in Egypt
According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index 2020, a comparative measure of gender parity across 153 nations, Egypt is positioned in 134th place, closing only 62.9 percent of its gender gap, which indicates disparities between women and men in social, political, intellectual, cultural, and economic achievements and attitudes.
“Women make only 33 percent of my development team where I work,” Yara Farid, a 29-year-old react frontend engineer, said.
Farid holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the Faculty of Arts. She decided to study STEM in the hopes of changing careers. She obtained a computer science diploma and a stack of web development using MEARN stack scholarship from ITI. She said, “I’ve always been interested in computer science, especially programming, and I thought I could pursue a career in it, especially as it has good prospects—or so I thought.”
“I truly think that there aren’t enough opportunities for women in computer science, and careers remain male-dominated globally and in Egypt,” Faried expressed.
It is Not Easy for Women in STEM
According to Bissan Kassab’s book, El Nesa’ Fe Al Haraka Al Emalya (Women in the Labour Movement, 2019), cited by the British Council: in the Arab world, 65 percent of female STEM professionals and 81 percent of female students indicated they were not part of any female-oriented networks, but maintained professional affiliation with their fields.
The reduced number of women in computer science and STEM careers could decrease other women’s chances to enter the field for various reasons, as it means fewer role models for young women as well as fewer mentors and support networks for women.
The unequal participation of both genders in the field perpetuates stereotypes and biases about women’s capabilities, and their presence in a male-dominated field could encourage a hostile environment for women.
“I’ve been subject to prejudice and ridicule from some of my colleagues,” Farid told Egyptian Streets. “They talk condescendingly as if women do not have the capacity to understand technological concepts. I also struggle to get my point across or voice out my opinion, unlike my male counterparts who can easily express themselves.”
She also highlights that this is a major issue that women face daily in their lives and the workplace, not only in the STEM field, due to societal misconceptions and gender bias.
A Lack of Options
“While I don’t think that the STEM industry in Egypt is biased towards one gender over the other, as I have many female friends who build good careers in STEM,” Rana Shams, a 27-year-old sports nutritionist, said. “I do think there aren’t a lot of options and support in specific majors.”
The sports nutritionist obtained her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology. Post graduation, her job prospects mainly included opportunities as a product specialist.
“It basically means selling medical products, and it wasn’t financially compensating. To get a research position as a biotechnologist researcher, I had to build a strong network of doctors and specialists, which felt more like public relations work and less biotechnology,” she said.
According to the 2021 British Council report, research, medicine, and engineering are some of the most competitive fields for women, underscoring the challenge of securing permanent positions in research institutes. The report also states that the most viable career path often lies within academia. However, the availability of permanent, well-compensated positions varies significantly depending on the field and institution. For instance, fields such as biochemistry show substantial female representation, whereas disciplines like electrical engineering have notably lower levels of female participation.
With limited options available to Shams, she abandoned her dream of working as a lab researcher and pursued a master’s degree in nutrition, which she also loves.
STEM in Egypt is on the Rise
In 2011, STEM schools were launched all over Egypt, and by 2023, 20 schools in 18 governorates were established, with 5,000 students enrolled.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi adopted the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women (NSEW 2030) in 2017. This strategy aims to promote digital technology programs and vocational training for women and ensure their access to technical education and information and communications technology (ICT).
According to the former Egyptian Minister of Education and Technical Education, Rega Hegazi, “At least one STEM school will be built in every governorate in the next few years, as the ministry plans to expand adopting strategies for scientific research and project-based learning in the general education transition years.”
Despite Egypt’s concerted efforts to elevate STEM education through initiatives and the proliferation of STEM schools, questions linger about the integration and success of women within these fields, as gender biases persist.
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