Are we really smashing STEM gender stereotypes for young girls?

The ‘you can do anything you want’ message is not hitting home as research shows girls still believe boys are more intelligent than them in STEM subjects, says Andrea Mara.

Girls as young as six believe that boys are more likely to be “really, really smart” — that’s according to findings from a recent NYU study. The research was carried out in the US — would we have the same results here? Do our six-year-olds already think boys are smarter, destined for jobs that require brilliance?

I did some (very unscientific) research with my own kids, asking if there’s anything boys can do better than girls. All three said, “No way, girls can do anything.” I’ve been telling them they can do anything since they were born, so the answer didn’t surprise me.