This year International Women's Day invites us to reflect on the importance of innovation and technology for gender equality. According to a UNESCO report in 2020, only 35% of the students of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas worldwide are women and it is estimated that by 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to these areas. In addition, women are underrepresented in STEM careers in every country in the world and face barriers and obstacles
that men do not experience.
Socrates Educa International School in Salou organized an awareness campaign on this issue with the aim of discussing the importance of these careers today and reflect on how it can be
promote their study among the students.
The main protagonists of the campaign were six women and students from the school with direct link in the STEM areas. The group is made up of two mothers from the school: May Marqués, chemical engineer and currently director of Human Resources of the Repsol Tarragona industrial complex, and Núria Obiols, Head of Operations of the Port of Tarragona; two science teachers: Lorena Gazzola, from Mathematics, and Alba Torres, from Physics and Chemistry, and two students from the school: Gemma Martínez, IB2 student and future engineering student next year, and Natalia Fanjul, an outstanding ESO4 student who is very motivated to continue studying for a science career.
During the session, the protagonists talked about the importance of studying STEM today and how much can be done by companies and schools to encourage female students to lose their fear of these areas.
Low representation of women in some sectors
According to May Marqués, the lack of representation of women in STEM fields is a reality, but it can be changed. For this, it is necessary to foster the curiosity and interest of female students in these areas and provide them with the necessary resources so that they feel comfortable and safe in an environment that has traditionally been dominated by men.
Núria Obiols, leader, technician and expert in maritime logistics, tells us about the difficulties she has had to deal with throughout her career, starting with her own nautical studies. The low representation of female students and staff at the university or the difficulty in securing a placement at sea for internships due to the simple fact of being a woman are some of them. Núria highlighted all those women who, by being pioneers, have paved the way for other women like her to get where they are.
Stigmas and ignorance of technical professions
There has also been talk about how the stigmas that still exist in certain professions and careers can be overcome and how, from the classroom, students can be helped to overcome these obstacles, starting from a very early age.
May Marqués also highlighted the fact that scientific and technological knowledge, skills and competencies have nothing to do with gender and claims to be able to fully experience femininity also in certain professions like hers.
The round table has also highlighted the need for companies to adopt policies that promote gender equality in their teams and the effort required to change the culture in the workplace. Women pursuing STEM careers have historically faced barriers to career growth, such as work-life balance or pay discrimination. While it is true that there has been significant progress in this regard, there is still much to be done.
Motivation of students
Natalia Fanjul and Gemma Martínez comment on the importance of promoting this type of initiative so that students like them can learn about this type of work through the vision of a woman. May Marqués agrees with them on this issue and talked about the importance of the students knowing in a practical way what day-to-day life is like in each of the professions in order to eliminate stigmas and unfounded prejudices.
Teachers Alba Torres and Lorena Gazzola explained that the importance of discovering the vocation of each student involves opening classrooms to experimentation, more fun activities that generate motivation and desire to approach science and the multiple specialities that exist today.
This year's International Women's Day is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the importance of gender equality and the promotion of STEM careers among female students. The invited experts shared their knowledge and experiences and have highlighted the importance of continuing to work to achieve a more equitable and just society.
