Female students participating in STEM fields: Need to know how to take advantage of strengths

Lecturers from the College of Mechanical and Irrigation Engineering (far right) guide students through an electrical engineering experience during the German Career Fair. Photo: H. Yến.

However, many female students are still hesitant and uncertain when faced with the choice of whether or not to pursue this field of study.

Advantages for women in STEM fields

After graduating with a degree in industrial electronics from Lilama 2 International College of Technology (Long Phuoc commune), Ms. Thai Thi Bao Tran was retained by the college and is currently a lecturer in the Industrial Electronics department, Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Based on her own experience, Ms. Bao Tran believes that women possess special qualities that are well-suited to technical fields.

"Women tend to be more meticulous and careful in their work and studies. This carefulness and meticulousness are crucial factors in helping women achieve success in jobs requiring high precision," Ms. Tran said.

Furthermore, learning and working environments in STEM fields often have a low female representation, which inadvertently creates an advantage. Ms. Tran emphasized: "Because of the low female representation, female students will receive more attention and support."

On May 10th, the Institute for Sustainable Development Management Research (MSD), in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Student Support Center and Cao Thang Technical College, organized the 2025 Conference on Women and STEM. According to information from the conference, approximately 30% of women in Vietnam are currently involved in STEM fields, a relatively modest figure. However, women's capabilities are in no way inferior to those of men.

This has been proven through Bao Tran's own journey. During her university years, she was the only female student in a class of over 20 members. However, this very fact helped her receive dedicated attention and guidance from her teachers, overcome initial obstacles, integrate well, and excel academically, even outperforming her male classmates.

Similar to Bao Tran, Nguyen Thi Kim Yen is the only female student in the Industrial Electronics K17 class at Lilama 2 International College of Technology. Yen said that because the curriculum is quite demanding and mainly focuses on practical work, she initially felt quite bewildered, confused, and sometimes pressured and apprehensive as the only female student in the class. However, it was precisely because of this that Yen received enthusiastic support and attention from her teachers and classmates. Thanks to this, she gradually adapted, became more confident, and grew to love her field of study.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Diem My, a graduate of the Computer Network Administration program at Dong Nai Technical College (Tran Bien Ward), also shared the advantages of studying STEM fields. According to her, many female students in engineering not only have passion but also achieve academic results comparable to their male counterparts. Diem My herself is a prime example, ranking among the top 5 outstanding students in her field at the college.

Dr. Huynh Anh Binh, a psychologist and Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Career Guidance Center, affirmed that women's capabilities in the engineering field are in no way inferior to those of men. Dr. Binh pointed out a noteworthy fact: "Many leaders of engineering departments and faculties in universities and colleges are women." Furthermore, with the development of automation, physical labor is no longer a barrier to women's participation in the engineering sector, because "automation has liberated labor."

Notably, some large businesses in Dong Nai also tend to prioritize hiring women for technical positions.

Clearly identify the difficulties to overcome.

The perspective on whether female students should pursue STEM fields is undergoing a positive shift. Ms. Bao Tran observes that more and more female students are choosing engineering-related fields and actively seeking employment opportunities in this sector. This change is due to a more modern society, the gradual elimination of gender stereotypes, and the increasing number of successful female role models in engineering. Furthermore, increased attention to gender equality policies is also contributing to expanding employment opportunities for women.

Female engineers and technicians are now enjoying more diverse work environments. Fields such as automation and engineering design are very suitable for women. In addition, women can also work in business-related fields such as sales and product development in engineering…

Despite the many advantages, female students pursuing STEM fields still face some challenges. Ms. Bao Tran acknowledged: "Gender stereotypes still exist, so female students have to work harder to prove themselves, even double their efforts to demonstrate their abilities."

Furthermore, health issues are also a factor to consider. Ms. Bao Tran believes that women are at a disadvantage when doing physically demanding jobs. In addition, a less female-dominated environment can make women feel isolated and less likely to share their feelings.

Bui Thi Minh Anh, a student majoring in automation at Dong Nai Technical College, shared another difficulty: without a genuine passion for the field, female students can easily become discouraged during their studies…

For female students who are still undecided, Diễm My offers this advice: "Don't be afraid of difficulties; try your best to achieve your goals."

Based on her own experience, Ms. Minh Anh emphasized the importance of thoroughly researching information about the field of study and the subjects in the training program to see if it is truly a good fit for her. At the same time, Ms. Minh Anh also advised female students to equip themselves with strong digital and information technology knowledge if they want to pursue STEM fields.

As we can see, despite remaining prejudices and challenges, women can confidently pursue and succeed in STEM fields. The most important factors are passion, thorough research, and unwavering dedication.

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Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202507/nu-sinh-tham-gia-khoi-nganh-stem-can-biet-tan-dung-the-manh-2ac16e8/