Essay tackles topic of gender inequality
Published in the June 24 – July 9, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Nikhita Gopisetty
Morgan Hill Life and the Morgan Hill branch of the American Association of University Women recently sponsored an essay writing contest to encourage local girls from 7th to 10th grade to share their opinions on issues impacting girls and women.
The winner of the contest is Nikhita Gopisetty. She wrote an essay titled “STEM Away From Gender Inequality.” Gopisetty is an eighth grader at Oakwood School. Below is her essay:
STEM Away From Gender Inequality
By Nikhita Gopisetty
On the first day of sixth grade, I entered the class I was most excited about: “Introduction to Computer Programming with ALICE.” I could not wait to see what the class description of creating your own video game entailed. It was not long, however, before I realized that I was completely out of place. I was the only girl in the entire room.
“Am I in the wrong class?”
“Maybe the other girls are on their way…”
When the bell rang, my thoughts shifted to: “Should I switch into a different elective?”
“Why am I the only girl?!”
I tried to take in the harsh and sad fact that I was the only girl in the entire class — the class I was most excited about. After sitting in the back corner of the classroom and listening to the various amazing projects we were going to be able to program, I realized I was not going to give up the best class of the day.
I found similar patterns of the gender difference in my other math and science related electives. In the chess elective I took, I was one of three girls. In my MathCounts elective, I was, yet again, the only girl.
Girls subconsciously get the message that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects are “boy subjects.” This message starts from a young age with Santa Claus bringing girls Barbie Dream Houses and American Girl Dolls and boys Legos and Hot Wheels.
Children from a young age should be made aware of their capabilities in all fields, including STEM. They should be encouraged to pursue their passion, instead of being stereotyped into a certain field. Children should grow up in a welcoming environment where they are not judged because of what they like to do, but are supported with everything they choose to do.
In order for humanity to make strides in gender equality, everyone, women and men, must work together. I hope that class that I was in in sixth grade will, eventually, have more than one girl, not because of force, but because of interest and encouragement. I am a female, I love science, and I truly hope that our society moves towards one that is more accepting and more equal.
