The Federation of African Engineering Organisation, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Science, Engineering and Technology Development Network, among others, have identified reasons why young girls shy away from the engineering profession.
According to them, engineering must not be seen a profession that is primarily for men, as they urged parents and teachers to encourage women and girls to show interest in it.
The groups came up with the position at a stakeholders’ programme held at the headquarters of the NSE in Abuja recently.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, the Chairman, Committee for Women in Engineering, FAEO, Mrs. Valerie Agberagba, noted that delegates from Nigeria, Rwanda and Malawi, who participated in the event were able to identify the major factors that dissuade girls from venturing into engineering.
She said, “There are various key influencers that often make women not to participate in engineering and sciences, and they differ for different countries. For Nigeria, we saw that parental influence was a key factor in the choice of science and technology by children.
“We also saw that teaching method is a very big issue and, lastly, we noticed that the issue of role model is another key influencer.
“So, as stakeholders, we are reviewing these issues in order to come up with measures of addressing them and getting our girls to admire engineering as a profession that is not majorly exclusive for males.