At IGNITE we have extensive experience in disseminating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through different STEAM educational projects. Today we would like to talk about the relationship that STEAM disciplines have with the SDG 5 Gender equality. This goal aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Currently, as in many other sectors, there is a gender gap significant in STEAM disciplines around the world, particularly in technology.
As we already know, the cutting-edge technological skills necessary in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be in increasing demand and women and girls must play a significant role, to do so we must ignore limitations and glass ceilings.
There is currently a lack of women earning technology-related degrees and this translates into the workforce, where in many technology companies, men make up the overwhelming majority. This situation leads women to feel that they do not belong in this sector, experiencing that they are left aside and poorly supported in certain aspects, such as motherhood. All of this causes many women to leave the technology sector. With more women leaving the industry, it is becoming more difficult to have role models, key women are needed in leadership roles as this can positively encourage other women to join an organisation, thus increasing the overall growth and productivity of the organization. company.
All of this has real-world consequences for the future of society and technology. How can devices, programs and technology be built for everyone, if not everyone is involved in their production? Women make up half the world, so it stands to reason that they make up half of the workforce in this sector.
It's time we focus on the next generation of tech talent and ensure gender equality exists for the good of all. This means changes in the industry and more encouragement at an early age so that girls and boys to pursue whatever naturally interests them without taking into account stereotypes that say that boys are better at STEAM than girls.
In this sense Innovative educational projects in STEAM that IGNITE promotes make more and more girls and boys become passionate about technology and end up opting for higher studies focused on these areas.
It is going to be a difficult battle, but we need to achieve gender equality also in the field of technology and education is going to be key in this process.
