The Basque Technology Parks contribute to making the role of women in the scientific-technological sphere more visible

Once again, they join the “Emakumeak Zientzian” project to commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated every year on 11 February

The Basque Technology Parks maintain a strong social commitment, promoting scientific vocations among young people and women. Coinciding with the celebration on 11 February of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science promoted by the United Nations, the Parks are taking part in a series of activities aimed at making the activity of women in science visible, breaking with the typically male roles attributed to scientific-technical activities and encouraging girls and teenagers to choose scientific careers.

The activities are part of the “Emakumeak Zientzian” project in which twenty-four Basque entities join forces, thus ratifying their commitment to the objectives of the initiative.

One of these initiatives is the exhibition organised by the Basque Technology Parks “Women who changed and change the world”, which can be visited between 8 and 28 February at Intxaurrondoko Kultur Etxea (Donostia-San Sebastian). The exhibition shows the trajectory of women who have made essential contributions to humanity and who continue to do so today.

Also, on 14 February at 16:00, the Parks will host the online talk “Educational resources for the orientation of STEM professions // STEM lanbideen orientaziorako hezkuntza baliabideak”, aimed at teachers and guidance staff at educational centres to inform them about the different STEAM resources available to promote and work on scientific-technological vocations at the centres.

The guides “What do I want to be when I grow up?” and “What are disruptive technologies?” will be made available to teachers, as well as the exhibition “Women who changed and change the world” with profiles of women working in online companies that can serve as a reference for students. This material can be used to work with students on the different career options in the field of science and technology, as well as to promote the most disruptive digital technologies.

This material has been developed within the Science and Technology for Women project coordinated by the Association of Science and Technology Parks of Spain (APTE) and in which more than 20 Science and Technology Parks, members of the association, participate. This project is aimed at students in the last years of primary school (5th and 6th) and the four years of secondary school (1st to 4th ESO), when they will have to start choosing whether to opt for STEAM studies or not.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in recognition of the key role played by women in the scientific and technological community. The Parks maintain a strong social commitment, contributing in their daily activity to the dissemination of the role of women in Science and Technology and the promotion of scientific and technological vocations. In the 2021-2024 period covered by the Strategic Plan, more than 6,000 young students will have participated in the different initiatives to promote scientific and technological vocations.

To date, more than 7,900 women work in the ecosystem that makes up the Basque Technology Parks, almost 40% of all the people who make up the ecosystem.

Emakumeak Zientzian 2023

“Emakumeak Zientzian” will pay tribute to all the women scientists and technologists who carry out their work in the organisations and research centres that are members of the initiative, including companies and research centres in the Parks, such as Achúcarro, CIC biomaGUNE, Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Basque Center on Cognition, Biofisika Bizkaia Fundazioa, Brain and Language (BCBL), Biodonostia, Ceit, Cidetec, Eureka! Zientzia Museoa, Ikerlan, Tecnun and Tecnalia.

The Emakumeak Zientzian 2023 programme is concentrated on the week of 8 to 17 February. A wide-ranging programme of more than 50 activities and surprises has been designed, covering different fields of research thanks to the coming together of different centres, so that the message that ‘science is for girls’ reaches and touches as many people as possible. In this new edition, the geographical scope has also been extended thanks to the participation of entities from Bizkaia, so that the programme extends to Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, mainly in the capital cities.

Around 11 February, there will be engineering and nanoscience workshops for teenagers, round tables and visits to research centres for schools, as well as a session related to academic guidance for teachers, all with the aim of presenting real models that will serve as a reference for future generations.

As a novelty, the Back to School activity will be added to the existing school offer, offering the possibility for schools to request a visit from researchers in situ to their classrooms. Families will be able to enjoy the experimental workshops Science Stars at the Eureka! Zientzia Museoa, the game The Treasure of Science based on the well-known game Treasure Hunt, or fun science gymkhanas, among others.

Likewise, specific groups such as women over 55 years of age will continue to be targeted, in order to highlight the role of adult women as transmitters of culture, with the activity The power of experience, in which a series of short experiments will be carried out that are easy to do anywhere, so that scientific culture flows in families and in our surroundings. In addition, for the general public, the Victoria Eugenia Club Aretoa and the Bidebarrieta Library in Bilbao will be hosting the event Women Scientists of Yesterday and Today, in which several women scientists working in different fields of research will take to the stage to talk about their research projects and pay tribute to some of history’s great women scientists by telling the story of their fascinating lives and scientific contributions.

The full programme of activities is available on the website www.emakumeakzientzian.eus