October 20, 2025
It Starts Early — and So Should We | Inclusive Plug RE:IMAGINE Episode 7
By the age of six, many girls already begin to doubt their own brilliance.
Research by Bian et al., Science (2017) shows that girls start distancing themselves from activities percieved as more suitable for boys and with age this gap only widens.
For market systems development practitioners, this is not just a social issue — it’s an economic and systems problem. When girls internalize stereotypes early, we lose future innovators, engineers, and leaders. This means fewer women entering STEM fields, energy sectors, or technical trades — and ultimately, a weaker talent pipeline for inclusive growth.
That’s why early career guidance matters.
Interventions that connect schools with companies can demystify sectors like transportation and logistics, energy and tech — showing girls that these fields are not “male-only,” but pathways for everyone.
Private sector partners play a crucial role here:
- Hosting compamy visits, and mentorship programs;
- Showcasing real female professionals;
- Integrating stereotypes-free career guidance into education systems.
Every year we delay starting early interventions, we reinforce invisible barriers that shape markets and opportunity structures. Investing in girls’ education free from stereotypes is investing in market resilience, innovation, and inclusive growth.
Let’s work together to make sure girls see — and seize — every opportunity from the very beginning.
Watch the video
Authors
Nataliia Koshovska
Before joining RECONOMY as a Gender and Social Inclusion Manager, Nataliia, originally from Ukraine, worked within the UN system for 11 years in particular as a staff member of UNFPA and UNICEF in the development and humanitarian contexts. Nataliia is a passionate human rights advocate and focuses professionally on women’s economic empowerment, stereotypes-free education and career choices as well as promotes gender equality and zero tolerance to violence in the corporate sector.
Related Content
October 15, 2025
October 14, 2025
Related Content
October 15, 2025
October 14, 2025
Comments (0)