“Girls don’t need fixing”

“My interest in the field developed gradually, both through experiences in educational practice and later through my research,” she says.
Early on, she noticed how the problem was often framed as girls lacking interest in STEM, which in turn placed the girls themselves at the center as “the problem.”
“Girls don’t need fixing. Instead, I wanted to investigate whether there were obstacles affecting their pathways into technology and the natural sciences.”

The lack of women does not look the same across all areas of STEM; they tend to choose programs such as biotechnology, biochemistry, or energy and environmental engineering.
“But my research made it clear that girls’ routes into technology are complex and strongly intertwined with norms about who is perceived as ‘technical’ and who is expected to belong in the field.”

Ten to fifteen years ago, the focus was often on changing individuals and on “awakening” girls’ interest in technology. Today, research and public debate have increasingly shifted attention toward structures, teaching practices and institutional conditions.
“At the same time, change is slow, because educational systems and workplaces often tend to reproduce established norms.”

What does your research contribute?
“Over the past ten years, I have worked to highlight these patterns and to translate research into policy and practice. I have done this through lectures outside academia, report work, and dialogue with decision-makers both in Sweden and internationally.”
She also emphasizes that broader and long-term responsibility is needed in order to achieve success.
“Several stakeholders are required to provide enabling conditions, leadership, monitoring, and support to transform the environments that influence who sees STEM as an attainable path.”