Govt Must Strengthen Education, Entrepreneurship Support for Women in STEM – STEM Advocate
By: Solomon Tetteh Nartey
The Executive Director of Empowering Female Minds in STEM, Margaret-Neulla Tsekpetse, has called on government to intensify efforts to support girls and women pursuing careers in science and technology through targeted education and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Speaking on Business Breakfast on Zed in discussions marking International Women’s Day, Ms. Tsekpetse said government interventions must begin at the classroom level to encourage more girls to pursue opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
According to her, strengthening teacher training programmes and improving district-level support systems would help promote female participation in critical sectors.
“Government can start from the classroom. When it comes to women teachers, we must ask whether we are doing more training programmes for them and how, at the district level, we are encouraging more women to take up certain roles,” she said.
Ms. Tsekpetse also emphasised the need for well-structured scholarship schemes to support girls who choose careers in STEM fields.
She explained that scholarships should not only focus on financial support but must also include mentorship and accountability mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries excel in their academic journeys.
“We should have scholarship schemes where the ladies who benefit are mentored by experienced people in academia who will push them to maintain excellence,” she noted.
Beyond education, the STEM advocate urged government to establish structured entrepreneurship programmes to support women who are leading grassroots initiatives.
According to her, many women have impactful ideas capable of transforming their communities but lack access to funding and institutional backing.
She said it has long been her dream to see government create programmes that train women and equip them with financial resources to implement community-based initiatives.
“There are many women with ideas who want to make an impact in their communities. Someone may want to reach dozens of girls in her village or run initiatives with the support of local leaders such as queen mothers, but the question is where they can get sponsorship to make it happen,” she said.
Ms. Tsekpetse therefore called for the creation of clear structures and funding channels that would enable women-led initiatives to access support.
She stressed that with the right policies and programmes, government can create an environment where women are empowered to thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development.
