Only 24% of those working in information technology are women

The equal participation of women in all fields, including science and technology, benefits not only women themselves but also society as a whole. However, worldwide, according to data collected by the United Nations (United Nations), less than 30% of science, technology, mathematics and engineering professionals are women.

Furthermore, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, only 3% of Nobel science prizes have been awarded to women and in Colombia only 25% of people working in information technology are women.

The numbers speak for themselves, and in the midst of this commemorative day, questions return to the need to put in place systems, policies and practices to initiate their participation.

Claudio Terra, director of Pfizer’s Latam Business Transformation, in the virtual forum ‘Women for Health 2023: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’, insisted on a key point: he recalled that an element present at very important stages of the lives of people like him Back to School, academic and professional life, it is essential to bridge the gap.

To achieve this from the academy, the University of La Sabana, through the initiative women in engineering, encourages the participation of women in disciplines associated with science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM), fields of work historically dominated by men. For example, in the university’s Faculty of Engineering programs, 587 women are enrolled at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and more than 1,300 have graduated in the past 10 years.

The same applies to the College of Graduate Studies in Administration-CESA of Colombia, where, thanks to a program of Leadership of women on boards It was possible for them to participate more in issues such as technology, digital transformation, innovation and sustainability. Thus, to date, the program has nearly 500 students enrolled in the last three years and this entity is already evaluating an extension of said program in Mexico and Panama.

“STEM careers They are defined by being at the base of the advances that humanity has known in various fields, and constitute the professions of tomorrow to promote sustainable development; not only to drive innovation, but also for social well-being and inclusive growth. However, it is relevant to take into account that in the inequality that society currently covers, aspects of an economic, cultural and social nature overlap, “said the dean of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of La Sabana and member of the Scientific Council. National Martha Cobo.

But the gap is not a problem that can be solved in one area alone. Experts agree that it is about achieving a fair system in which governments are also involved, as well as public and private organizations and society in general.

Although the progress in the region is clear, since a decade ago the presence of women in the axes of change such as politics and feminist activism was not so strong, there is still work to be done and many countries continue to implement policies aimed at closing the gap. gender in science and technology.

From her perspective, Marcela Rivera, Huli’s special projects manager in Costa Rica, explains that the gender gap in innovation and technology is evident. For this reason, she says that “it is important to encourage the participation of girls and young people, but also of adult women, as well as the open innovation, so natural in start-ups”.

Florencia Truchi, head of innovation and transformation at Pfizer Argentina, agrees. He warns that 50% of the population is not represented, so leaving women out of these processes has become a global problem whose solution is even envisaged within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals of the World Organization of Nations (UN). In this vein, in the virtual forum, he explained that diversity brings undeniable value to innovation, since it allows the development of value propositions that integrate multiple points of view.

In this sense, although many governments continue to talk about the importance of gender parity and gender-focused labor reforms – as happens in the Colombian case – the truth is that there is still a long way to go since changing a reality and achieving real equity is work that does not happen overnight.