Role of women in STEAM jobs to be promoted

The gender equality commissioner’s office on Tuesday launched its new campaign for the promotion of women in STEAM professions (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics).

The initiative was conceived in collaboration with the education ministry, the deputy ministry of research, innovation and digital policy and the Press and Information Office.

As part of the campaign, short videos will be shared weekly on social media featuring 13 women in STEAM professions, aiming to inspire and act as role models for younger women who may want to follow in their footsteps.

The female role models participating in the campaign are Eleonora Kaiser (astrophysicist), Panayiota Polykarpou and Anastasia Liopetriti (founders of NGO Girls in STEAM Academy), Maria Solomou (business consultant), Monica Polemiti (business consultant), Vasilia Taramounas (postdoctoral researcher) , Christina Shailas (educational technologist), Margarita Zachariou (neuroscientist), Charitini Tsangari (academic-statistician), Athena Kasiou (director), Magdalena Zira (director), Nedi Antoniades (actor) and Elena Georgiou Strouthou (information engineer).

Speaking at the event, gender equality commissioner Josie Christodoulou said that according to data from the European Institute for Gender Equality, only four per cent of women work in STEAM professions, compared to 27 per cent of men.

Although there are no exact figures for Cyprus, “our country ranks among the lowest among European Union countries” when it comes to women in STEAM, she said, pointing out that professions in these fields, traditionally more attractive to men, are projected to rise according to EU statistics.

But, she stressed, “This is not a competition between men and women.

“But we want women to be able to have the choice to freely follow any career they wish,” she added, reiterating that “we need and want balanced participation in STEAM professions”.

She went on to explain that balanced participation is important when drawing up policies and taking actions, as each gender will experience a different impact. “So, we should integrate the gender dimension into the design of policies and actions for an equal positive impact”.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou echoed the commissioner’s views, agreeing that “we must reduce the gap in the representation of women in STEAM professions” by overcoming the obstacles that usually discourage them from taking an interest in and choosing a career in these industries.

She added that her ministry is implementing STEM teaching in 14 primary schools throughout Cyprus, while in secondary education this is incorporated within all-day teaching programmes which take two directions, that of STEAM teaching and that of teaching the Greek language and culture.