After almost five years fighting her way through an arduous mechanical engineering degree at one of Indonesia’s top schools, 24-year-old Tantya “Tya” Ani thought she could breathe a sigh of relief upon graduating in September last year
After almost five years fighting her way through an arduous mechanical engineering degree at one of Indonesia’s top schools, 24-year-old Tantya “Tya” Ani thought she could breathe a sigh of relief upon graduating in September last year.
She started seriously looking for jobs in December, applying for roles that would allow her to work onsite — defying the odds that have for a long timed sided with men in the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
According to UNESCO, only 35 percent of STEM students globally are women, but women’s representation in these fields is increasing, thanks to women like Tya.
However, it is not only sexist comments and harmful stereotypes, both of which she encountered at university, that have kept Tya from landing her dream job. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health and economic crisis, forcing businesses to close or halt recruitment and leaving millions out of work.
Tya said she had not heard back from a company in Bandung, West Java, after a job interview in January, with the city soon to impose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to curb the transmission of the virus causing COVID-19. An internship she secured at a Malaysian company, scheduled to begin in March, would likely be canceled as well, she said.
“I was waiting for my visa and work permit when the pandemic hit. I had even found a place to rent there and started working remotely for the company. However, the internship will be canceled, as the company has had to halt its operations because of the lockdown there,” Tya said.
Living with her parents in Surabaya, East Java, Tya said she was still sending out applications amid the pandemic, but with far less hope now. To keep her mind at ease, she has been accepting freelance projects and helping with her friend’s new business. She also spends less time on Instagram now, opting instead to explore new interests, such as cooking and making ceramics, while she stays at home in compliance with the government’s calls for physical distancing.
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