Here’s some interesting work from Verizon which, in partnership with women’s network MAKERS, has launched a campaign to spur dialogue regarding gender parity for young women in science, technology, engineering and math fields (STEM). The campaign, entitled Inspire Her Mind, is designed to encourage young girls to break gender barriers and pursue a path towards STEM.
When you view the campaign’s Inspire Her Mind video you will, sadly, realize that unintentionally belittling a girls’ aspirations is all too common and even widely accepted as the norm.
The campaign is built upon the insight that a significant drop off exists in women showing interest in these fields between childhood and adulthood; 66 percent of 4th grade girls say they like science and math, yet only 18% of college engineering majors are female.
Through their partnership with MAKERS, Verizon aims to create awareness of the lack of female presence in STEM and help facilitate change so women can pull ahead, stay competitive and ultimately, do their part in helping to better the world.
Reshma Saujani, MAKER and founder of Girls Who Code, provides the voice over for the campaign and is a strong advocate for closing the gender gap in technology and preparing young women for jobs of the future. Verizon’s contribution to Girls Who Code will allow the organization to expand to new regions of the country and reach even more young girls who desire a career in STEM.
