Strong female role models in STEM
All the stakeholders' deliveries should support the common goals in alignment with the UN Sustainable development goal and Nepal Government’s 16th Five-year plan. The concerned stakeholders of Nepal are exploring potential in areas like Artificial Intelligence, Green Hydrogen Energy, Block Chain, Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure in order to succeed in creating inclusive society to align with the constitution of Nepal. Generation of leadership among 51% women population of Nepal has become necessary to underscore the critical need for strong female role models in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers.
The new generation population are in the era of innovation, growth, and harnessing the full potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various sectors. There is a strong need of transforming the traditional education system of Nepal generating new breeds of Human Resources embracing AI trends to navigate the evolving stakeholders.
The converging technology revolution comprises the synergistic combination of four groups of technologies: information technology, bio-technology, nanotechnology and cognitive technologies. They go beyond digital technologies, although they are underpinned by the latter. Data is central to the converging technology revolution; a unique feature is the integration of data from the human, physical, biological and cyber worlds. High speed computing power and connectivity are the other two factors powering this revolution. These characteristics drive both the potential and the risks from the converging technology revolution. The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), itself a combination of information technology and cognitive science and made possible by the availability of vast amounts of data, cheap high speed computing power and ubiquitous connectivity, is further enabling and driving the converging technology revolution. These developments have profound implications for human capital – creating the possibility of rapid accumulation of human capital through technological innovations in education (e.g., by improving learning quality), health (e.g., by improving stunting or reducing non-communicable diseases) and social protection (e.g., by addressing informality of the labor force) sectors; as well as supporting sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, sectors critical for Nepal’s development.
Nepal government is committed to energy transition, which will lead to an exponential growth in employment associated with Green Energy sectors or any other cheaper alter energy sectors, such as renewables, batteries and hydrogen. Nepal can become an exporter of green hydrogen energy. Nepal government has already approved the policy of use of cheaper energy production. The first movers with the help of government subsidies, incentives and policy support. Leadership development in energy sector should be encouraged. USAID is promoting this issue in Nepal encouraging women to lead this sector.
All plethora of AI powered project activities will grow with the cheaper sources of energy helping generate IT professionals who will also be backbone of outsourcing IT companies in Nepal supporting the concept of IT HUB in Nepal. Academia, Researchers and women leaders can be engaged by expanding community engagement, strengthening participation, and fundamentally redistributing power to promote a transition to more equitable, resilient and sustainable service delivery systems for more sustainable future. Integrated policy in the area of energy and agriculture will accelerate the benefit to the society especially at the grass root level. The IT industry's strength is based, fundamentally, on the trust, which members among stakeholders and human resources of Nepal collectively work in the areas of investment and technology transfer encouraging girls and women.
The future of service sectors, industries and communities is intertwined. Harnessing these technology trends while ensuring equitable access can enhance services outcomes for a more sustainable future.
There should be a scheme of supporting women and girls’ candidates in their respective areas with and aim to accelerate the talented instincts of the women candidates to carry out studies and research. Women and girls with disabilities experience gender inequality, social exclusion, discrimination, and violence in different ways. Development strategies, formulated with their full participation and consultation, are needed. It requires inclusive policies, awareness, gender-sensitive financing, and technology-enhanced access to financing supported by AI tools.
There should be proactive steps to increase the number of women working in the transport and logistics sectors. By doing this, services for women and girls, and the public overall, will improve. Affordable, green housing is vital for women's resilience and sustainable development.
Public-private partnerships can be an important tool to expand opportunities and improve quality of life, especially for women and girls.
Nepal has several policy mechanisms encouraging women's representation in federal, provincial and local government. Quotas for female students and marginalized groups are also implemented in academic institutions within STEM fields, covering science, medicine and engineering engaging Ministries, INGOs, NGOS and local communities.
Story telling about women leaders in STEM is powerful mechanism to accelerate the awareness championing to promote STEM education in rural ends. Community driven online content generation of such stories should be encouraged to reach out to rural mass will also support the revenue models of communication, education infrastructure.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is dedicated to commemorating the accomplishments of women in science and advocating for gender equality in scientific fields emphasizing the need for inclusivity and equal opportunities to foster diversity and innovation. The gender parity in science is not achievable by placing the sole burden of "balancing" and "excelling" on women, it requires collective efforts from families, institutions and societies. All wards, Municipalities, Provinces and Central government should engage NGOs, INGOs, academic institutions and researchers to promote this issue for creating sustainable SMART governance structure with good representation from women.
There is a need for a special ACT under the banner of “Institutions of special importance” backed by a special budget for generating talents in all sectors through Human capital building program specially in high revenue generating sectors like IT industries. Institute of National Importance (INI) is a status that may be conferred on a premier public higher education institution by an act of Parliament of Nepal for such institution which "serves as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled personnel within the specified region of the country/state". Institutes of National Importance should receive special recognition, higher autonomy, and funding from the Government of Nepal.
The curriculum in universities of Nepal has to be reviewed accordingly supported by adequate budget and policy for special emphasis on STEM education from the grass root level with the help of concerned stakeholders engaging INGOs, NGOs, government and local communities of Nepal.
Tech might be a key enabler, but a beneficiary-driven humanitarian response is what everyone is working towards, and nobody should lose sight of that. The current system of delivering aid often results in multiple ailed attempts to provide meaningful change in the most troubled hotspots. AI and Blockchain technology could quickly become a dream team to remove corruption and bring greater transparency to their efforts. Chain-supply-management improvements to mitigate losses from leakage and the introduction of smart contracts are obvious examples of how technology could be used as a tool to make a difference.
People witnessed victims of conflict, disease, and natural disasters such as the earthquakes that struck Nepal. There is international forecast of new high intensity earthquake in the western region affecting Kathmandu valley. Poorly retrofitted damaged buildings due to 2015 earthquake will add more disaster. It is our moral responsibility to use these 21st-century tools for the greater good for saving lives. AI, Blockchain, crowdsourcing, image analytics, and a host of new technological solutions are increasingly used to deliver meaningful change to people's lives and save lives of people during disasters.
For reaping the full benefit from technology people, especially women and girls, need to be empowered through STEM education with special emphasis on mathematics.. Nepalese professionals with international experiences can play a catalyst role in policy intervention adding value to bring together to exchange all views, latest technological developments in the field which make Nepal self-sufficient in generating talented professional experts with special emphasis on development of women leaders supported by STEM education.
INGOs and NGOs like Women in STEM, Women in Science and Technology (WIST), Women in Mathematical Sciences (WONIM), Women in Information Technology (WIST), Academic institutions, research institutions like University Grant Commission (UGC) and National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) should intervene creating SMART policies with adequate budget allocations during implementation phases.