Stem Paradox: Why Do Muslim-Majority Countries Produce So Many Female Engineers?

An obvious hypothesis: in a poorer country it’s super important to get a decently paying career, so young people of both sexes gravitate towards engineering, as a guaranteed solid paycheque (plus solid potential for emigration to a richer country) whether they’re particularly interested or not.

In richer countries, there’s less pressure to be quite so practical with your career choices, so people have a stronger tendency to do what they’re interested in, rather than what will pay the most.