Kathmandu, May 14 -- When Nhasala Joshi joined the Advanced College of Engineering and Management in Kupondole, she was the only woman in her Electronics Engineering class. Later, as the semester progressed, the number of women grew to three, still a heavily lopsided gender ratio.

Joshi's experience is not an anomaly--the gender ratio when it comes to STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is woefully unbalanced. And it is not just a Nepali problem either; worldwide, there is a distinct lack of women in STEM fields, including Information Technology (IT).

In Silicon Valley, the IT hub of the world, most startups were founded by men and these companies grew under the leadership of men. So it is no wonder that the...