Bridging the Gender Gap in Cambodia’s STEM Education and Careers
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Publication Type:
Publisher:
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Publication:
April 2026
Closing the country's gender gap in STEM requires coordinated action across education systems, career transitions, and gender-inclusive workplaces.
Cambodia’s development ambitions increasingly depend on a workforce equipped with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. National strategies emphasize technology, innovation, and human capital development as key drivers of economic growth. Yet participation in STEM education and careers remains low and uneven, particularly for women.
While overall enrollment in postsecondary education has increased, women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM fields, especially in engineering and information and communication technology. According to the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MOEYS), the gender gap in STEM education persists and has widened in recent years, with twice as many men choosing STEM majors in academic year 2022/2023 compared to women.
The brief shares findings from a study examining the drivers of, and barriers to, women’s enrollment in STEM education and participation in STEM careers in Cambodia. It proposes policy options to strengthen the STEM pipeline, from education to employment, by addressing structural constraints and improving access, retention, and progression for women in STEM fields. It recommends embedding gender-responsive STEM learning in Cambodia's national education policy, enhancing career guidance, promoting equitable student retention, and strengthening care systems.
