For many years, mathematics has been regarded as a field where boys tend to have a greater aptitude and achieve better results. However, the latest data suggest that this perception is gradually fading, at least in Albania.

An analysis published in the latest report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, based on the results of the 2022 PISA Assessment, shows that Albania ranks among the countries with the highest representation of girls in the group of students achieving the strongest results in mathematics.

Around 40% of the highest-performing students are girls, a figure that challenges traditional beliefs about gender differences in STEM subjects.

According to the report, girls spend more time solving mathematical problems, participating in competitions, and taking part in science and mathematics olympiads.

Mathematical skills are closely linked to the professions of the future, ranging from technology and artificial intelligence to engineering, finance, and scientific research.

However, the challenge does not end with academic achievement. Many girls who excel in mathematics and science later face difficult choices regarding higher education, career paths, or emigration.

In a society where stereotypes about “women’s professions” and “men’s professions” still persist, these results demonstrate that ability has no gender.

This makes it even more important to create opportunities and supportive conditions that allow talented young women to pursue their ambitions and fully realize their potential in fields where their skills are increasingly in demand.