Very Rev Dr Phyllis Bernice Kwarteng Donkor, Minister in Charge of the Taifa Circuit of the Methodist Church Ghana, has encouraged more girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), drawing on her own experience of studying and teaching in male-dominated fields.

Speaking on Behind the Pulpit with MzGee, Rev Dr Donkor said her educational journey exposed her early to gender stereotypes but also equipped her to challenge assumptions about women’s abilities in science and leadership.

She revealed that although she had initially wanted to study the arts, she pursued science after her family encouraged her to become a doctor or pharmacist.

“I don’t think science was my favourite. I think I would have been better at arts,” she said.

Despite not achieving the grades required to study medicine after her A-Level examinations, she later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Technology Education with a specialisation in Applied Electronics and Automotive Engineering before teaching electronics at Koforidua Secondary Technical School.

At various stages of her education, she said she found herself among only a handful of female students.

“There were maybe two of us in the electronics class,” she recalled. “At O-Level there were only two girls in the science class, and at A-Level there were about five.”

Rev Dr Donkor said it was not until university that she became fully aware of the structural and societal barriers contributing to the low participation of women in STEM disciplines.

As part of her undergraduate research, she studied the factors responsible for the low representation of women in science and technology, a process she said helped her recognise and confront unconscious gender bias.

“I became very conscious about some of the prejudices and myths,” she said.

Today, she holds a doctorate in STEM Education and lectures in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Ghana, where she continues to mentor future teachers.

Reflecting on her career, Rev Dr Donkor said working in environments dominated by men taught her resilience and confidence.

“It has been an uphill battle from the beginning,” she said.

She also credited her experiences in education with shaping her leadership style, describing herself as both firm and nurturing.

“I always mother them,” she said of her students. “They know I expect them to work hard, but they also know they can count on me.”

Rev Dr Donkor said increasing the participation of women in STEM requires not only encouraging girls to study science but also addressing the stereotypes and biases that discourage them from pursuing careers in the field.

She urged young women not to allow gender imbalance to deter them from entering professions traditionally dominated by men, saying competence and perseverance ultimately speak louder than stereotypes.