STEM for women, scholarships in the South

Education and training are widely considered to be among the most effective tools for pursuing gender equality in the context of social and working life and for overcoming the stereotypes that often condition individual decisions in the choice of school and career path.                                                                                                                 
School segregation refers to the gender division in the school system, which channels students into 'male' subjects (technical and scientific subjects) and female students into 'female' subjects (humanities). This division can already be seen in the choice of upper secondary school and becomes more prominent during the transition to university, before being reflected in the professional world and becoming occupational segregation.
From here we can understand how fundamental the promotion of a non-discriminatory culture is in all fields of life, such as education, choice of profession, employment and sport.

The recent 2021 Almalaurea Report clearly shows the gap in female enrollment in the degrees that best meet the professional needs of the future.
 “For some time now, women have made up more than half of graduates in Italy, representing 58.7% of the total among those in 2020. They have an incidence of 66.1% in single-cycle master's courses, 56.4% among two-year master's graduates and 58.3% among first level graduates.
There is a strong differentiation in the composition by gender of the various disciplinary fields. 
In entry-level courses, women make up a distinct majority in the following groups:

• education and training (92.8%)
• linguistic (83.8%)
• psychological (81.1%)
• medical-health groups. (74.4%)

Conversely, they are a minority in STEM discipline groups:

• computer science and ICT (14.3%)
• industrial and information engineering (25.9%),
• exercise and sports science sgroup (33.4%) s.

This distribution is also almost confirmed within the two-year master's courses.”

* Fonte – Almalaurea XXIII Indagine Profilo dei Laureati 2020 - Sintesi del Rapporto 2021

The project includes the establishment of 5 scholarships for the same number of female students who enrolled for the first time in the 2021/22 academic year in the STEM degree courses in STEM disciplines offered by the 5 partner universities of the initiative. The study courses have been selected by the universities from those that already register a very low female presence.                                                         
Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit and will accompany female students for the entire duration of the three-year degree course, in line with the requirements relating to the progress of their university career.
STEM scholarships for women are added to other initiatives already launched with the same intent: to emphasize the issues of gender equity and the enhancement of female talent. Among these also GIRLS @ POLIMI, created in partnership with the Politecnico di Milano.

People development is one of the priorities of the strategic lines in terms of Diversity & Inclusion adopted by the Group. Talent has no gender is the mutual driver of our initiatives that promote orientation and empowerment in the fields of education, training and work.
The Bank - committed to remove the stereotypes that influence the choice of study path of girls and boys - offers dedicated programs designed to promote equal access opportunities, encourage merit and stimulate in them the desire to pursue their dreams and realize their ambitions.                                                                            
The synergies activated with the universities, generated by these mutual values, are precisely aimed at making education even more inclusive, facilitating young female students access to study and career paths in areas considered fundamental for the growing impact they will have in future.                                                                         
On the websites of the individual partner universities it is possible to learn more and find out about how to apply for scholarships in STEM disciplines and consult the specific calls already published.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           October, 2021

• Università degli Studi di Napoli – Federico II
• Università della Calabria
• Università degli Studi di Catania
• Università degli Studi di Palermo
• Politecnico di Bari