Bringing more women into scientific research and the development of solutions using different technologies has motivated non-profit organizations, academics and companies to open training and entrepreneurship opportunities in this sector.
And the fact is that female empowerment in STEM areas, mainly from an early age, is key to combating the disparity in unemployment rates at the national level, in which they also remain at a disadvantage.
“The increase in training and development opportunities for women has a positive impact in multiple aspects, such as greater possibilities of accessing quality jobs and undertaking projects with high added value,” says Flora Montealegre, executive director of the CRUSA Foundation.
This becomes more relevant since, of the research and development initiatives in Costa Rica, only 23% are carried out by women according to organization data.To change this panorama, the NGO leads ‘Constelar’, the first incubation initiative in the country focused exclusively on the generation of SMEs with scientific and technological bases led by women.
‘Women in Electric Mobility
It also promotes ‘Women in Electric Mobility’, which allowed 30 inhabitants of vulnerable areas to be the first to specialize in the repair of electric vehicles, seeking to generate employability opportunities for them in segments that are gaining more strength at the labor level.
With the same objective, since 2023, the Cybersec Cluster organization formed a chapter of women in cybersecurity, through which strategic alliances have been generated that have benefited more than 1,500 participants. “For this year we have started activities ranging from motivation and sorority to attract more young women to STEM careers, such as motivating them to participate in CTFs (computer security competitions) which are an excellent framework for technical training and a window for capturing talent,” mentions Carolina Taborda, director of the entity.
Merit scholarships
For its part, with an investment of more than ¢140 million, the Costa Rican Promoter of Innovation and Research, of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MICITT), awarded 78 scholarships at the beginning of the year to women from rural cantons to pursue technical careers.
Stay In STEM, by the Tecnológico de Costa Rica (in agreement with Intel); and Super Scientific Girls, are other initiatives in favor of gender equality in technology and science.
Female impulse in stem areas:
Constellar (CRUSA)
constelarcr.com
Women in electric mobility (CRUSA)
community.crusa.cr/innovacion-tecnologica
Women in cybersecurity (Cyber Cluster)
womcy.org/es/
Stay in STEM (Tec and Intel)
www.intel.la/content/www/xl/es/corporate-responsibility/intel-in-costa-rica.html#tab-blade-1-2
Super Scientific Girls (Tec)
www.facebook.com/supercientificas.itcr
All these programs bring more women closer scientific research development solutions different technologies motivated non-profit organizations academic companies open opportunities training entrepreneurship sector
Other initiatives:
YOD Foundation
It began this year with programs focused on creating networks of women for the management of technological projects, responsible use of the Internet, and integration of STEM areas
Telecommunications Superintendence
Developed a tool with indicators by gender in order to provide information on the workforce in the sector, heads of households benefiting from the ‘Connected Homes’ program or information on Internet use
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Since 2019, together with the Central American Aerospace Network (RAC) and other partners, it has developed the ‘Women’s Technology Rally’ initiative, which consists of a space of three to five days to learn and apply technological knowledge to local realities and problems of women in rural areas
SuláBatsú Cooperative
She has been developing the ‘Programatic-as’ program for four years, focused on building female leadership in science, technology and innovation, benefiting more than 800 women, mainly from rural areas, obtaining recognition from UNESCO, UN Women and the International Telecommunications Union, among others.
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