Cooking in the Kitchen is chemistry - Dr Agyepong underscores women's efforts in STEM education

Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Academic City University College, Ing. Dr Lucy Agyepong has described cooking as a form of chemistry positioning women as scientists in their daily kitchen endeavors.

Addressing guests at Jobberman Ghana's Executive Roundtable, she urged parents to steer away from traditional gender norms, encouraging young girls to pursue careers in technology, highlighting the inherent STEM skills practiced in daily cooking routines.

Girls need to know that even in their day to day lives if we are saying women's role is in the kitchen, in the kitchen you are cooking, you are adding oil, you are adding tomatoes, you are already practicing chemistry, you are already practicing STEM in your house so why can't you study STEM ?

Dr. Agyepong stressed the need for a shift in societal expectations, acknowledging the lingering pressure on women to confine themselves to domestic roles.

'Societal expectations that women should stay at home to cook and raise babies still exists in our local communities today, this therefore means that the dream to become a tech Guru or become head of a tech organization is shutdown very early before you can festor or develop... Therefore if we want to empower girls and have successful career in technology, we'd need to avoid some of these barriers that I've just mentioned. It starts with Education and mindset change.

Meanwhile, Tech Enthusiast and CEO of Devapps, Dr Mercy Gardiner O. Tenkorang urged women pursuing careers in Tech to never quit.

In our quest to become relevant in the Tech industry and in our careers, there are times we've faced challenges and yes, you've heard some maybe right from home but what ever the case, I encourage you to stick with it when the time gets tough remember that you maybe just only 3 feet away from your gold whatever your gold maybe

The Jobberman Ghana Executive Roundtable, focused on Diversity and Inclusion: Empowering Young Women in Tech for Career Success, took place on November 16, 2023, at the African Regent Hotel.

The event featured prominent figures such as Dr. King David Boison, Managing Director of Knowledge Web Center, and other tech entrepreneurs.

Highlighting the commitment to addressing gender disparities in the technology sector, Jobberman Ghana introduced the M-FIT Project (Matching Females In Tech Jobs). This comprehensive initiative aims to train and empower at least 100 young women aged 18 to 35 with STEM backgrounds. The program focuses on providing essential soft skills, bridging the gender gap, and connecting these women with potential employers in the tech industry.

In collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Jobberman Ghana aims to make a substantial impact through the M-Fit Project, fostering a more inclusive and diverse landscape in the tech sector for women in Ghana.

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