Including women in STEM drives equality and progress!
What is ST3AM?
ST3AM is a European co-funded project, under Erasmus+. ST3AM is driven by the urgent need to address the ongoing gender discrimination in STEM education and professions within the EU. Despite progress in recent years, women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM fields, leading to a loss of diverse perspectives and potential.
For instance, only 28% of researchers in STEM are women, and women account for just 17 Nobel Prizes compared to 572 awarded to men since 1903. The gender disparity is primarily attributed to discrimination and bias rather than a lack of skills or educational background. Gender equality in education and STEM is essential not only as a Sustainable Development Goal but also as an accelerator for other SDGs, as emphasized by global initiatives like the UN’s 2030 Agenda and statements from EU officials such as Helena Dalli.
Further emphasizing the economic importance of gender inclusion in STEM, the European Commission highlights the significant potential for economic growth by encouraging more women to enter STEM fields.
Initiatives like Women TechEu, which provided 3.8 million euros to tech start-ups led by women, and the European Institute for Gender Equality’s call for more digital specialists, show the growing recognition of this issue. Promoting women’s participation in STEM could increase EU GDP by up to 3% by 2050, while also addressing the gender gap and contributing to long-term financial stability.
ST3AM aligns with these efforts by striving to create a non-discriminatory, equal educational environment in STEM, free from stereotypes and gender biases, to enhance female participation and, ultimately, drive societal and economic change.
What is expected from ST3AM?
- Promotes gender-sensitive teaching and inclusive curricula to support the academic community.
- Provides faculty training to recognize and address gender biases.
- Offers female students resources, inspiration, and a sense of belonging in STEM fields.
- Empowers female students to overcome stereotypes and achieve their goals.
- Facilitates the sharing of experiences to identify barriers and solutions.
- Transforms curricula and attitudes toward gender in STEM education.
- Drives systemic changes in STEM education and HEI gender equality policies.
- Promotes economic growth and workforce development.
- Aligns with broader gender equality initiatives.
- Supports gender-neutral education and research.
- Contributes to inclusive workforce development.
- Influences policy through shared best practices, collaborations, and programs that address gender gaps in STEM fields.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. KA220-HED-F7461335