International Day of Women and Girls in Science
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February was established in 2015 by the UN National Assembly, and sponsored by UNESCO, with the aim of raising awareness and inviting Member States, universities, society to general "to promote the full and equal participation of women and girls in science, education, training, employment and decision-making".
The United Nations Agenda 2030 has an objective, number 5, aimed at achieving gender equality and emancipating all women and girls and also includes this aspect.
A significant gender gap has persisted over the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines around the world. This is a trend that is still current, although this gap can be more or less significant depending on the different national contexts, and in many cases female participation in university education has reached significant levels. Statistically, internationally, women and girls make up only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of those graduates in computer science and computer science. Turning instead to the field of research, it is interesting to note that the percentage of female researchers, estimated at around 33.3%, is usually guaranteed significantly lower scholarships than those of their male colleagues, tending to have a shorter and worse-paid working life.
An Innovation Coffee to promote the day
This year, Intesa Sanpaolo has decided to celebrate the day through an Innovation Coffee, an event organised by the Innovation Center, which will feature three of our colleagues from the Innovation Centre who will bring their experience as "girls and now women in science" who play fundamental roles in technological innovation within the Group. They are: Silvia Roncadin – Head of Artificial Intelligence Lab, Laura Li Puma – Head of Applied Research & Innovation Hubs and Sonia D'Arcangelo – Head of Neuroscience Lab.
Innovation Coffees are events organized by the Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of the culture of innovation. During the meetings, cutting-edge topics are presented: latest generation technologies, innovative startups, insights into innovation issues, new forms of communication and presentation of cutting-edge tools.
To participate: Innovation Coffee | International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 12 FEBRUARY 2025 - 13:30 - 14:00
Register https://www.intesasanpaoloinnovationcenter.com/it/news-ed-eventi/eventi/2025/02/innovation-coffee-international-day-women-girls-science/
Intesa Sanpaolo's initiatives in favour of women in science
- As a Group, we are associated with the Sodalitas Foundation and support the STEM BY ME initiative, which aims to make secondary school students aware of the opportunities offered by the world of work - which increasingly require technical-scientific preparation and gender equality - thus supporting them in making an informed choice for their future. The project includes a plenary kick-off event with students and parents every year. This is followed by some meetings dedicated to deepening the most sought-after professional figures in the company and the type of skills needed to enter the world of work. Intesa Sanpaolo adheres with a testimony in one of the dedicated meetings, together with other companies: https://www.sodalitas.it/fare/giovani-e-futuro/sodalitas-stem-by-me-
- Intesa Sanpaolo supports the ORIZZONTE STEM initiative, a digital training programme aimed at 1,000 high school students in Southern Italy. Through online workshops dedicated to STEM disciplines, the project aims to promote social inclusion and enhance science and technology education, offering girls and boys the opportunity to develop essential skills for their future, regardless of their socio-economic background. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with Develhope and Amazon: https://landing.develhope.co/amazon-tech-labs-ragazzi-15-18-anni
- Intesa Sanpaolo promotes TECH FOR IMPACT, an initiative that provides for the awarding of 20 scholarships in the digital field, in collaboration with Develhope. The project is mainly aimed at girls and aims to promote the employment of young people between 18 and 30 years old, unemployed or underemployed, residing in Southern Italy. The aim is to provide beneficiaries with specialised training in emerging digital professions, guaranteeing them concrete skills and at least one job interview opportunity: https://landing.develhope.co/intesasp-scholarship
- Initiatives to support the participation of female students in study and career paths in the field of innovation and technology in STEM disciplines such as the GIRLS@POLIMI project - Scholarships for future engineers, launched by the Politecnico di Milano and now in its fifth edition. Intesa Sanpaolo has so far supported 22 scholarships, to actively contribute to attracting more female students to technical-scientific faculties.
- As main partner, we support the YEP (Young Women Empowerment Program) project, organized by Ortygia Business School and now in its sixth edition, which aims to encourage the inclusion and training of female students from Southern Italy in the STEM field, through mentoring between young participants and professionals. Thanks to YEP, over 150 female students from 12 different universities have the opportunity to participate in a path of discussion, in-depth study and coaching, accompanied by as many high-level professionals, to explore the world of work, acquire greater awareness of existing opportunities and their skills and weave relationships and connections that are valuable for their growth.
- With the Female Stem project, in partnership with 5 universities in the South, we offer scholarships to female students enrolled for the first time in the year 2021/2022 in degree courses in STEM disciplines. The five scholarships are intended for female students from partner universities: University of Naples Federico II, University of Palermo, University of Catania, University of Calabria and Polytechnic University of Bari.
The contribution of the Charitable Fund
Intesa Sanpaolo's Charitable Fund and social and cultural works dedicates a significant part of its resources to supporting projects aimed at promoting access to quality education for all, helping to overcome cultural and socio-economic barriers that can slow down and, in many cases, prevent paths of personal and civil growth.
During 2024, 3.8 million were allocated to Focus 2 of the 2023-2024 Guidelines, "Fight against educational poverty and the digital divide", for 107 projects carried out in Italy. The interventions concern the entire education cycle, involving in particular pupils from migrant families and special educational needs. There are many paths for overcoming the gender gap and for digital education with the aim of making minors responsible for the use of web platforms, accompanying them in the recognition of any risks. There are also more and more proposals for laboratories, educational interventions, workshops oriented to STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics).
The selected projects involve boys and girls in an equivalent way and lay the foundations to help the beneficiaries orient themselves in future choices and discover their abilities.
Particular attention is paid to the emergence of the potential of female students, so that they contemplate the choice of university education paths dedicated to STEM disciplines.
Some more significant examples:
by Associazione Sabir. The project aims to combat child educational poverty in the Crotone area, through inclusion activities in favor of foreign minors and children suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders. It offers extracurricular educational opportunities by enhancing the inclusive potential of music, the practical approach in scientific disciplines and environmental and sustainability education. The main activities promoted by the project are: a music workshop; a STEM laboratory, with hand-on activities to promote active learning, problem solving and interest in scientific disciplines; Cineforum and environmental education activities.
In its third year of implementation, the actions of this project continue and expand in some of the areas with the highest rate of school dropout in the provinces of Bari, Naples and Turin. 2,400 students aged 14-19, their families (and in particular mothers) and 150 teachers from 13 institutes are involved in an educational path consisting of 4 macro-actions that combine the STEAM perspective and guidance and coaching actions, involving the entire community: schools, universities, museums, businesses. The project aims to support the educational and professional choices of adolescents from the most disadvantaged families.
by School and Work. The project is carried out in the territorial area of Termoli and the adjacent municipalities. It is aimed at 100 children at risk of dropping out of school due to socio-educational fragility and learning difficulties. The planned activities will be carried out in continuity and in support of curricular activities. The project involves the creation of aggregation poles, to improve STEM skills, encouraging the permanence in the curricular path even of the most fragile children. The activities are also carried out with the support of digital tools (computer labs, interactive monitors for children who need compensatory tools). There will be cultural educational outings to educate about the beauty of the artistic, architectural, historical and natural heritage and training activities for teachers, tutors and social workers. Families are involved, so that they are more involved in the educational process of their children.
Environment and Communication. Aimed at 150 children between 11 and 14 years old, it takes place in an inland area of Abruzzo, in the territory of the Sirente Velino Regional Natural Park, characterized by a high rate of marginality, school dropout and a significant presence of minors followed by social services and situations of family hardship. The project proposes to carry out support activities in schools that allow children to develop skills especially in scientific subjects and in the use of English. In addition, it is intended to give psychological support to the new generations with the aim of counteracting social distress and unhealthy lifestyles. Various actions have been undertaken, including STEM workshops, to stimulate interest in scientific disciplines, trying to keep up with the latest technologies and using innovative methods. The collaboration between school, family and territory has also been strengthened, in a real community educational pact.
A project in its second year of implementation, which insists on the territories of Brindisi, Catania, Potenza, Sassari, Scalea, Ancona and Palermo and is structured on two paths: the "prevention path" for 420 children 8-11 years old and adolescents 12-15 years old, and the "activation path" for 48 young people 16-22 years old. The primary objectives are the prevention and contrast of the NEET phenomenon. With the youngest target group of beneficiaries, the aim is to strengthen human skills and interests in STEM at an early stage, including through guidance. The development of these skills is considered central so that young people can recognize their value and imagine, plan and act on their future, in response to the challenges of the technological-digital revolution and free from gender stereotypes. With the young adult beneficiaries, actions are activated to strengthen employment skills, personalized accompaniment, vocational training and individual support.
Conceived by the proposing body and the Kairos Consortium of Turin, the project takes place in the cities of Naples and Settimo Torinese, in the province of Turin, It involves 120 students aged between 10 and 14, their teachers and parents. The actions aim to propose and raise awareness of innovative tools to encourage creativity and knowledge of one's potential, combating educational poverty and the digital divide. STEM laboratories run by experts and teachers are carried out, with the production of outputs (e.g. video games) linked to the learning units carried out and a final debate. The project aims to support children in the recognition of their fragility, which in recent years has become the cause of school dropout and dropout. There are also spaces for psychological listening for students and parents related to the topics covered and moments of training and support for teachers.
Last updated 10 February 2025 at 16:22:46
