How Do You Change the World at Age 15?

As part of the “STEM is FEM” project, with the support of UNICEF Ukraine and UN Women, the Science is She charity soirée was held in Kyiv. During the event, 12 winners of the all-Ukrainian essay contest about women scientists received their awards, and First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska had a public discussion with girls who are already changing Ukraine’s future.

One of the winners of the competition, Yaroslava Nazarenko, received an award from UNICEF Ukraine for her essay on physicist Antonina Prykhotko The world needs science, and science needs a woman.

The finalists of the competition shared their ideas about how to make the world and local communities more inclusive, what a generation equality is for them and how to make girls interested in STEM subjects without prejudice and stereotypes eau. 

Teaching how government works, in schools

In order to make decisions, take part in and initiate changes at national level, one must at least understand how the system works. Young people do have the potential to reimagine the world of tomorrow, but not the basic knowledge about the government works and where their involvement would make most sense.

“We are not taught in schools about how the government is organized. We don’t know about the functions of the government, who the MPs are, what the Cabinet and ministers do. We never learn it in school, though it is the school’s actual duty to explain to students how the world and their country work. Few of my peers know what taxes we pay and how they are spent, why we have to vote and what the consequences are,” says Snizhana Burdyniuk, 22, from Ivano-Frankivsk, an expert at working with children and youth in dire circumstances. In her volunteer work, she focuses on regional development, working with children, young people, and inclusive society.

She has experience of volunteering with the projects “Agents of Volunteering”, “Ukrainian Leadership Academy”, NGO “Support”, NGO “Right to Choose” and NGO “Youth for Peace”.

Snizhana explains, that for new generations to want to become changemakers, we need to reform education, in order that it at least partially explains these basic mechanisms.

Explaining what STEM majors are

There is not exactly strong competition for chemistry, biology, physics and other STEM majors among college applicants in Ukraine. According to First Lady Olena Zelenska, next year the shortage of such specialists in the world is set to increase – and Ukraine is no exception. In the UK and Germany, these deficits will reach 50 per cent next year. There are no such statistics for Ukraine, but the figures may be similar. This, Zelenska explains, will make the demand from the government and private enterprises even higher, which is why the Ministry of Education and Science is now focusing on technical majors: IT, engineering and others.

“The low prestige of STEM majors is a common problem today. When a classmate heard what I was studying, he said, ‘Oh, so you would prefer not to work anywhere afterwards. Why didn’t you apply to be a lawyer, a translator or a journalist?’” remembers Nadia Kasianchuk, 19, from Ternopil, the winner of the project Science is She. 

Nadia is studying biotechnology and pharmacy at two universities at the same time, plans to make a career in biotechnology and is interested in bioinformatics, a field that combines biotechnology and computer science. In the future, she wants to improve the science education system in Ukraine.

According to Nadia, to promote technical majors, schools need to show how they can be applied in life.

“For about two years I dreamed of becoming a biologist and working in a laboratory. And when I came to share my plan with mum one day, she asked me, ‘Wait, what is a biologist?’ I was flabbergasted. Because a biologist is a scientist who works in a laboratory, to put it simply. But why don't people know and understand this?” adds Yelyzaveta Kukharuk, 15, from Rivne. 

She attends Lyceum 12, where she heads the organization Women in Technology, and her volunteer work focuses on gender equality, women’s representation in STEM and regional development. She has experience of volunteering with the projects Aspen Teens, Youth Bringing Immigrants Together and “The World’s Largest Lesson”.

Most stereotypes about STEM specialties are tied to ignorance, she believes. “The first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘bioengineering’ or ‘biotechnology’ is that you will be working as a biology teacher or tutor. And that's your entire career opportunity.”

Initiating volunteer projects promoting STEM

You can fight stereotypes and inculcate interest in STEM majors at various levels. For example, you can make change by implementing big national projects. This step is important, but it can take a long time, says Yelyzaveta – and it will take even longer for them to reach small towns.

This is why it is so important to develop local grassroots volunteer projects and organizations at the same time.

“It is especially cool when this field is popularized among girls. Girls can often just be scared to develop in this area, because they feel pressure from parents, surroundings, classmates, friends, anyone. So, it's very cool that now we can join various youth initiatives that help small communities develop,” she says.

Creating the inclusive society that everyone really needs

Inclusion is not just about ramps or barrier-free spaces. It is largely about the presence of people with disabilities next to us and their inclusion in the change-making and decision-making processes. This also affects able-bodied people – if they do not see anyone “different” they don’t know how to communicate or behave with them.

“I was 21 when I first saw someone in a wheelchair,” says Snizhana. “She was smiling, successful, cheerful – and then my stereotypes began to break down, but at the same time I had a fear: how to communicate, what to say, how not to offend, how to behave. In just 20 minutes, I realized that it is enough to be yourself, because we are the same, we are equal.”

Exclusion of people with disabilities is a process that affects everyone, and inclusiveness is beneficial for people with and without disabilities, the girls say.

This trend can be changed. One step is to implement the 2030 Barrier-Free Strategy. This is designed to create a barrier-free environment for all, and to provide equal opportunities for all. In addition, Ukraine has received official status as a member of the Biarritz Partnership, an international initiative for equal rights and opportunities for all. Within the Partnership, Ukraine has taken on commitments in five areas: developing barrier-free public spaces friendly to families with children and less mobile groups, teaching children the principles of equality between women and men, preventing violence, reducing the wage gap between women and men, and creating greater opportunities for men to care for children.