Cultural Factors in Mathematics Education Contributing to the Shortage of Women Professionals in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

In a world which is realising that development cannot and must not be blind to gender, Papua New Guinea (PNG) as a developing nation has the opportunity to avoid the mistakes of history. The country's abundant natural resources demand research and technological development in the fields of agriculture, mining, fisheries, and forestry. Although women have traditionally been active in these areas at the grassroots level, they are severely under-represented in PNG's workforce. For example, only 11.6% of the senior management positions, and only 29.5% of the professional and technical jobs are held by women (UNDP Programme Officer, 1995). This has been partly attributed to the fact that mathematical competency is essential for advancement in these fields and there is a severe shortage of qualified female applicants with these skills. Several cultural factors contribute to this imbalance. Mathematics and science are considered as male subjects in PNG society. Boys are more exposed to Western culture. They have access to games, television. Traditionally young women are typically not encouraged to pursue higher education; instead they are expected to seek jobs and help finance the family budget (Oliver, 1985). Mathematics is often taught as an abstract subject without practical applications, making it more difficult for women to grasp since they are less exposed to Western culture due to social customs. This is particularly challenging since PNG has over 100 different native counting systems (Lean, 1991) and students must learn new concepts in a foreign language. The solution seems to lie in using, rather than abusing, the cultural reality and teaching mathematics at every level of the education system as a part of the Papua New Guinean woman's heritage.