VII. Conclusions: What Can Be Done to Improve Equality of Opportunity and Outcomes in STEM?

VII. Conclusions: What Can Be Done to Improve Equality of Opportunity and Outcomes in STEM?

To date, equality between girls and boys has not been identified in Armenia as an explicit principle in the drafts of the State Program on Educational Development for 2016–2025. An awareness of practical actions and the value for Armenia that would result should therefore be mainstreamed into the broader system of education and school culture.

Policies are needed to reduce bias at school and to ensure that girls are aware of the connections between certain fields of study and job opportunities—particularly in the high-growth technology sector. While cultural stereotypes take time to change—such as that of the “hungry engineer” or the notion that certain jobs should be off-limits to women—the government can build on the principles that underpin TUMO’s existing STEM programs and outreach to create an environment in which women and girls choose these fields of study.

At work, the increased flexibility in STEM fields should enable women to feel less pressure when choosing between remunerated work in the market and unpaid work at home. High-profile television campaigns, such as those deployed to address sex ratios at birth, could be used to promote positive role models for women in STEM. Table summarizes the policy options that can be deployed by the Armenian government in the short and medium term to increase the number of women training in STEM fields and progressing into high-potential STEM jobs. The policy actions listed below are based on evidence emerging on good practice based on a global literature review, as well as nascent findings emerging from Armenia. The options reflect a range of approaches, some of which are feasible to implement in the short term within two to three years, albeit with sufficient level of political will and aligned incentives.