Combatting gender stereotypes: Commissioner Gabriel meets trailblazing women in science

During the ICT 2018 event in Vienna, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel held a discussion on gender in science and technology with women working in EU-funded cutting edge research initiatives.

The event brought together distinguished female scientific researchers, including representatives of the Commission’s FET (Future and Emerging Technologies) Flagships, which aim to solve major science and technology challenges and benefit European society and the economy. They shared their views on gender issues in research, and had a chance to describe their personal experiences.

Commissioner Gabriel said:

While women account for 52% of the European population, only around 1 in 3 graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is a woman. As we need to succeed together the process of digital transformation, it is very important for policymakers, educational institutions and industry to promote gender equality in the digital sector and further boost women’s participation. This is why we have come up with the Women in Digital strategy putting forward a number of tangible actions to encourage more and girls to study and embark on careers in science and technology. Hence, I am interested in regularly meeting female researchers and hear their views on how to achieve this objective, by working together. They are the ambassadors and the role models of our digital world.

The participants also discussed a study recently published by the European Commission on Women in the Digital Age, which highlights Europe’s digital gender divide. In addition, Commissioner Gabriel presented her new Women in Digital strategy, a range of initiatives to encourage more women to study and pursue careers in new technological fields, including a focus on advocating for more women entrepreneurs.