Encouraging girls in science and coding

Why this matters

Girls in primary classes are as curious and as capable at science and maths as boys. Somewhere in the middle school years, many lose confidence, often because of small signals: toys that are only for boys, comments such as "girls are not good at maths", or fewer chances to build and tinker. These messages do not come from malice, but they add up. Families and teachers can change them with small, steady habits.

Science and coding are open to everyone. The country has many women scientists, engineers, doctors, programmers and teachers, and girls should see themselves among them.

Start with play and chores

• Give girls building toys, blocks, puzzles and tools as well as dolls and kitchen sets, and give boys the same range.
• Let daughters help with fixing a switch, a bicycle puncture or a loose hinge, under supervision, just as sons are asked to help in the kitchen.
• Ask a girl to explain how something works, such as a pressure cooker or a ceiling fan, and look it up together if neither of you knows.
• Praise a girl for being curious and brave, not only for being neat and well behaved.

Watch the words

Notice phrases we use without thinking. "She is good at drawing, he is good at maths" starts to fix a child's picture of herself. When a girl struggles with a maths topic, say "this is a hard one, let us break it down" instead of "maths is not for everyone". When she succeeds, praise the effort and the thinking: "I liked how you tried three ways".

Children also pay attention to what adults do. If a mother says "I am not a maths person" and avoids a calculation, her daughter may copy the belief. Try to say "let me work this out" instead.

Make science hands-on

Girls often thrive when science is connected to real things, to making and to helping others. Try a free project guide together, such as the lemon battery, the water filter, the solar cooker or the plant maze. These need no special equipment and show that science is something you do, not only a subject to memorise. Encourage her to explain her model to the family and to take it to the school exhibition.

Visits help: a science centre, a planetarium, a farm, a hospital health camp, a local workshop, or a talk by a woman engineer or scientist at the school.

Coding for girls

Coding is about logic and creativity, and it is a very good fit for children who like stories, puzzles and designing things. Start with unplugged ideas, such as writing the steps to make tea or draw a rangoli pattern, then try block coding like Scratch and later Python. Our free lessons on algorithms, loops and conditions explain these ideas with paper activities. Suggest projects that connect to her interests: an animated story, a quiz about plants, a game about saving water, a small app that helps with her timetable.

Encourage safe, friendly online communities and clubs. If a girl feels she is the only one in her group, find another girl to learn alongside her.

Role models and real people

Show girls that women do these jobs: scientists at national research organisations, engineers building bridges and satellites, doctors, programmers, teachers and lab technicians. Read short biographies, watch talks and invite a relative or a neighbour who works in a technical field to talk to the class. Pointing out women in your own neighbourhood who repair phones, run computer centres, teach maths or manage accounts has a powerful effect.

Practical support

Make sure a daughter has the same access to a computer, a phone for learning, tuition, clubs, coaching and travel as a son. Plan how she will reach a class safely, and talk with the school about transport and timing. If a girl needs to stay late for a science club or a competition, a family discussion about safe arrangements is better than an automatic no.

For teachers

In class, call on girls as often as boys, form mixed groups, rotate who handles the equipment and who records, and watch that the same few voices do not dominate. Display work by girls, and give girls the lead in practical tasks. These small habits help all quieter students.