Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury has said unless there is a change or shift in society’s outlook at large, greater participation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects or pathways will be impossible. "Prevalence of gender stereotyping in our society and lack of robust education system are the key barriers according to me. We need a massive change in our national curriculum. From the government’s end, we are taking step to make science education compulsory for all students up to the age of sixteen in Bangladesh," he added. Mohibul was speaking at the event “Innovation: Women's Access and Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM),” organized by ActionAid Bangladesh Monday. To celebrate the International Women’s Day 2023, ActionAid Bangladesh organized the event today in Dhaka, featuring an innovation fair, games, awards giving ceremony and panel discussion. Experts from different sectors joined the event and highlighted the importance of innovation and technology for gender equality, the present status of women in the fields of STEM, and the way forward to improve both in the future in the context of Bangladesh. Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh in her opening remarks said “Women fought for their rights 100 years ago and continue to do so in 2023 with the intent of equality across all aspects and dimensions of life. In 2023 the emphasis is on digital equity – ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’ and promoting women’s participation in STEM.” Acting Senior Director of ICDDRB, celebrated scientist Dr. Firdausi Qadri during her speech said: “My role model was my grandmother who herself did not go to school, but she encouraged all the daughters of our family to be bold with choices and excel in education. So, encouragement from family is crucial in rising participation of women in STEM. Research requires long hours but as women need to take care of family responsibilities as well, so they refrain from participating in this profession. Family support and encouragement is critical if we want to see a change in this field.” Dr. Nova Ahmed, Professor of North South University, opined “Data shows in terms of population, ratio of men and women is almost same. Even the completion rate of higher secondary studies in Bangladesh is similar across both the genders. However, the scenario is completely opposite when it comes to employment. Only 1/4th of the working population are women. When we tried to identify the causes we found social perception, lack of safety of women and self-doubt about competency are keeping women away from STEM.” Dr. Salma Sultana, Founder of Model Livestock Advancement Foundation, mentioned, “When it comes to women’s participation in this sector, I often find women to withdraw from their jobs due to family responsibilities. There’s also a perception that only men are good in STEM. We need to debunk this perception and introduce evidence-based education system in our schools so that students are interested in STEM from an early age. We need more female role models, especially writers, to inspire young women.” Talking about the security issue, Suranjana Saha, Cyber Security and Crime Division, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, Dhaka Metropolitan Police said, “In one hand we are seeing lesser women in STEM and on the other hand we are seeing rising number of cybercrime and gender-based violence online in Bangladesh. The incident of online violence poses a threat to women’s use of and participation in technology and in STEM. We need more women in this profession to bring an overall change. Cyber space can be a secured space only if people know how to use it safely.” Miraz Ahmed Chowdhury, Founder, Digital Right Member, Executive Board, ActionAid Bangladesh International Society and Dr, Lafifa Jamal, Professor of the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Dhaka also joined as panelists of the event. ActionAid Bangladesh in this event recognized four women, Mosammat Golsanara Begum, Homayera Ahmed Zeba, Parveen and Sanjida Islam Chowa, from the grassroot level through its signature ‘Nasreen Smriti Padak’ award ceremony in collaboration with UBICO under the categories: Women's contribution in eco-friendly agriculture; Women’s leadership in ensuring climate justice and preservation of natural resources, Women in unconventional occupation and Women setting example in ending violence against women, including child marriage respectively.