Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, explained how teaching young girls to handle rejection builds necessary courage [1, 2].
This approach addresses the systemic gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. By shifting the focus from perfection to resilience, advocates aim to keep more girls in technical fields where they often face higher rates of discouragement.
During a "Meet the Moment" conversation with NBC News reporter Kristen Welker, Saujani discussed the psychological barriers that prevent girls from pursuing ambitious goals [1, 2]. She said that the fear of failure often prevents girls from taking the risks required to succeed in coding and other technical disciplines.
Saujani suggested that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to move forward despite it [1, 2]. Teaching girls to experience and recover from rejection allows them to develop a thicker skin—a trait often more encouraged in boys than in girls.
The strategy involves reframing rejection as a learning tool rather than a definitive end [1, 2]. By normalizing the process of failing and trying again, Saujani said the goal is to create a pipeline of women who are comfortable in high-stakes technical environments.
Closing the gender gap in STEM is not only about providing technical training but also about changing the cultural expectations placed on young women [1, 2]. Saujani said that building this internal resilience is essential for long-term retention of women in the workforce.
“Teaching young girls courage through rejection as a strategy to narrow the STEM gender gap.”
The emphasis on 'bravery over perfection' represents a shift in educational philosophy for women in tech. Rather than focusing solely on skill acquisition, this approach targets the psychological attrition that often leads women to leave STEM fields, suggesting that emotional resilience is as critical as technical proficiency for achieving gender parity in the workforce.
