TRAINING PROGRAMS

School for Women: Development and Empowerment - STEM edition

STEM Edition

The gender gap in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is very pronounced in the Lambayeque region. To address and reverse this reality, a comprehensive educational approach has been undertaken, providing technical skills to female scholarship holders and fostering their confidence and leadership in these areas. This has been carried out through the initiative “SCHOOL FOR WOMEN: DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT - STEM EDITION,” which seeks to promote the participation of women in these fields, strengthen their autonomy and freedom, and promote their empowerment.

Lambayeque, March 23, 2024.- The Somos Ciudadanía Association, in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for the Andean Countries, successfully completed the "Women: Development and Empowerment - STEM Edition" program for women from Lambayeque. This initiative targeted women aged 18 to 35 in the region. The program ran for two weeks, from March 11 to 23 of this year, using a hybrid model that combined virtual and in-person classes, as well as visits to laboratories. The scholarship holders engaged in lectures, workshops, dynamics, and proposals designed by the community for the benefit of their communities.

Successful call and high impact

More than 170 women applied to the program, demonstrating the great interest among women in Lambayeque to strengthen their skills and knowledge in STEM areas. After a selection process, a group of 40 women leaders with high potential to generate positive changes in their environment and the region was chosen. The topics covered in the program included: Basic gender concepts: International and national frameworks for gender equality; Women's autonomy: Physical, economic, and decision-making autonomy; Women's empowerment: Social, political, and economic participation; Women in STEM; Science, technology, and public policies; Leadership and managerial skills, among others. In this way, the participants acquired valuable tools and knowledge to strengthen themselves and contribute to the development of their communities.

Testimonials and next steps

The scholarship recipients of the program highlighted the quality of the content and the experience of the speakers in both the virtual and in-person classes. Speakers included Fiorella Gonzales, Josefina Miró Quesada, Alejandra Rivera, Carla Arce, Aura Arbulú, Vanessa Zambrano, and Indira Vásquez, as well as presenter Katia Gálvez. They also appreciated the opportunity to share experiences with other women leaders. Furthermore, they expressed their enthusiasm to apply the acquired knowledge in their projects and activities and to realize their plans.

"Happy to have met a female physicist in the country, Carla Arce gave an extraordinary lecture covering topics such as technology and scientific dissemination, always seeking to promote STEM careers in women." - Lesly Gonzáles, Scholarship Holder.

Visit to laboratories

As part of the program, the participants visited the laboratories of the School of Communication Sciences at the Universidad Señor de Sipán, where they explored the photography, radio, television, post-production, and audiovisual workshops. They also visited the modern Oral Litigation Hearing Room of the law school at the same university.

Citizen iniciatives

The citizen initiatives developed by the participants addressed various issues related to reducing the gender gap in the region, demonstrating their interest in generating a positive impact in their communities. The challenges addressed in their work, and those sought to be reversed, included gender violence, labor inequality, and inequality of opportunities.

The School for Women: Development and Empowerment - STEM Edition, is an initiative of the Somos Ciudadanía Association and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) in the Andean Countries.