Women in STEM in the 21st Century
The first "Women in STEM in the 21st Century" conference EDP LABELEC
With representatives from academia and energy companies, among other institutions and partners, discussed the role of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The conference was divided into three panels: 1 - Female Representation in STEM, 2 - Women in Technological Entrepreneurship, and 3 - Women in STEM – AI as a Driver of Inclusion.
History largely ignores women scientists and inventors, and this lack of female role models in STEM fields has a negative impact even on academic and professional career choices, concluded the participants in the panel "Female Representation in STEM."
The quality of the presentations and participation ensured the success of the conference held at the new LABELEC laboratories, which yielded challenging conclusions. A change in the dominant paradigm in STEM fields is indeed recommended, and the contribution of schools and education policies is essential in order to break, early on, with the sociocultural models and practices transmitted to our children, the men and women of the future. It is true that adopting parity measures can contribute to progress in this field, but competence must always prevail as the most important criterion for differentiation and selection. And by adopting this approach, female representation in company leadership positions and in technology careers will certainly increase.
According to recent statistics, only 10% of startups are founded by women. Several reasons explain this surprising fact, and the participants identified some, from men's more confident approach to business to the impact of gender on financing analyses, yet another obstacle that creates additional difficulties for women who want to establish themselves as business leaders.
In an increasingly technological society where AI makes everything faster, it was agreed that we are skipping important steps in the learning process and in the acquisition of knowledge, with consequences that we are still unaware of, even though we anticipate them to be more negative than positive. Also in this area, "dangers" were identified: among them, the majority of programmers are men. This requires greater critical capacity and a greater analytical sense. The recommendation is to use algorithms that encourage inclusion and parity, diversify databases, create diverse work teams, and, above all, increase AI regulation.
The future of Women in STEM, it was concluded, although challenging, will certainly be more inclusive. And EDP LABELEC, with this conference, planted a seed for a more just and fraternal society that we all desire!
