Gender Equality in STEM: National Program Presents First Results and Launches Merit Badge

As part of the week celebrating the International Day of Girls in ICT, the session presented the initial outcomes of the "Girls in STEM" program, which aims to encourage young women and girls to pursue academic and professional opportunities in STEM fields. 

Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport Margarida Balseiro Lopes presented the program's main results to date. To date, the program has received 125 applications for initiatives aimed at breaking down gender stereotypes under four calls for proposals totaling €7.5 million. Additionally, there are further calls for proposals worth €8.8 million dedicated to creating networks that promote female participation in STEM fields. 

Significant changes to financial support in the domain of vocational training are also noteworthy: grants for “Cursos de Aprendizagem” have increased from 10% to 60% of the social support index, while grants for advanced “Cursos de Aprendizagem+” have risen from 50% to 100%, considerably strengthening the incentives for participation. 

The minister emphasized that women are underrepresented in these fields. She noted that only one in four information and communication technology specialists is female and that only three in ten STEM program graduates are women. In this context, she stated that the program aims to establish itself as a structural public policy with the capacity to generate a lasting impact in promoting gender equality. 

The session was marked by the launch of the "Girls in STEM" badge, a public distinction designed to recognize projects, programs, and initiatives that promote women's participation in STEM fields in Portugal. Ana Martinho Fernandes, Director of Services at the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG), and Mónica Letra, Member of the Board at the Agency for the Technological Reform of the State (ARTE), presented the Badge. 

A panel of representatives from the CIG and ARTE, as well as organizations such as the Institute for Education, Quality and Assessment, the Institute for Higher Education, the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, and the Foundation for Science and Technology, will assess applications on a rotating basis. 

Applications for the "Girls in STEM" badge, as well as more information about the program, are available on the official government portal at gov.pt. 

The session was closed by the Secretary of State for Digitalisation, Bernardo Correia, who emphasized the importance of a cross-cutting approach to what is a collective challenge: working to achieve gender equality in STEM fields. The Secretary of State also highlighted the role of the Digital Skills Pact as a key instrument for achieving this objective, emphasizing the commitment to developing digital skills and promoting greater female participation in these fields.