Emakumeak Zientzian [Women in Science] has received the first STEAM Euskadi Prize and the Special Mention Award for Gender Perspective in the category of Most Innovative Initiative in STEAM Education promoted by other organizations. The STEAM Euskadi awards are given by the Basque Government´s Department of Education and the ceremony took place this morning in Bilbao. The project was selected among 137 applications submitted to the call for proposals.
The award acknowledges the progress made by the Emakumeak Zientzian initiative since the first edition in 2017, and the work of all the people and organizations involved in its development. Emakumeak Zientzian has been proposing an extensive program of activities geared towards society as a whole to mark 11 February, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with emphasis on particularly important groups in order to promote equal access and professional development in STEM disciplines.
"If there is one thing we are clear about, it is that breaking the gender divide in the scientific and technological field requires a global awareness; a global approach," stressed Mónica Moreno, head of projects and communication at POLYMAT and coordinator of the 2022 edition of Emakumeak Zientzian. "Over 100 researchers have made it possible to organize almost 40 activities that seek to instill an egalitarian scientific ethos across society: children, families, teenagers, adult women, teachers and schools," added Moreno.
"Emakumeak Zientzian makes the work of women researchers in the Basque Country visible, it creates references and breaks the typically male roles attributed to scientific and technical activities," said Itziar Otegui, head of communications at CIC nanoGUNE and coordinator of the 2022 edition. "This initiative has also made it possible to build a network of scientists committed to internal change in scientific and technical organizations in order to break the gender divide and achieve full and equal professional development for everyone," added Otegui.