As the world as soon as once more marked International Women’s Day this yr, it highlighted the continued want for equal alternatives and significant illustration of ladies throughout all areas of social and financial life.
Addressing gender inequalities is especially important in fields comparable to science, expertise, engineering, and arithmetic (STEM), the place girls stay considerably underrepresented, even because the demand for expert professionals continues to rise.”
Across the globe, profession alternatives in engineering, science, and expertise are increasing quickly. Yet girls proceed to face limitations limiting their participation in these high-growth sectors.
According to estimates, solely about 30% of researchers worldwide are girls, that means that many ladies are nonetheless excluded from a number of the most dynamic and promising skilled fields.
International Women’s Day serves as a reminder that reaching gender equality will not be solely about rights and illustration but additionally about making certain girls have equal entry to schooling, sources, and profession pathways. Encouraging ladies and girls to pursue careers in STEM and entrepreneurship is subsequently important to balancing the scales in the fashionable workforce.
Efforts to empower girls in Cyprus
In Cyprus, a number of initiatives have been launched in current years to deal with this imbalance and encourage extra ladies and girls to pursue STEM-related careers. Among the organizations actively contributing to this effort is Chevron, whose Cyprus operations have supported programmes geared toward empowering girls by way of schooling, coaching, and entrepreneurship.
Working alongside establishments comparable to Frederick University and CyprusInno, Chevron Cyprus has helped fund initiatives that present mentorship, coaching, and scholarships for ladies in search of to construct careers in expertise, engineering, and enterprise.
One such initiative is STEM Days, applied by Frederick University, which introduces younger ladies to science and expertise by way of participating, hands-on experiences. Another programme, the Women Entrepreneurs Lab, helps girls trying to develop enterprise ventures and strengthen their entrepreneurial abilities.
STEM Days: Breaking stereotypes early
For many ladies working in expertise as we speak, their curiosity in the sphere started at an early age. That was the case for Erma Dymiotou, a graduate of Frederick University’s BSc in Computer Science and MSc in Web and Smart Systems programmes.
Dymiotou recollects that her ardour for expertise started throughout her elementary faculty years.
“I took computer classes when I was in sixth grade. I was good at it, and I had an excellent teacher who made everything seem simple,” she says. “I knew since high school that I wanted to study computer science. It was the only subject that truly excited me, along with mathematics and physics.”
With the assist of her mother and father, she pursued her research regardless of monetary difficulties. Scholarships and assist from Frederick University performed a vital position in serving to her obtain her targets.
“Information technology is a constantly evolving field, and that’s what attracted me to it,” she explains. “It is challenging, creative, and fulfilling.”
Today, she works as an internet developer at Dynamic Works, contributing to the rising expertise sector in Cyprus.
Inspiring the following technology
Recognising the significance of early engagement, Frederick University launched an initiative in 2021 titled “To All Women and Girls: Join the Journey in Engineering and Technology.”
According to Natassa Frederickou, President of the Council of Frederick University, the initiative goals to assist and encourage younger ladies who’re in pursuing careers in engineering and expertise.
“At the same time, it seeks to raise awareness among parents and teachers about stereotypes and outdated attitudes that often discourage girls from following their interests in these fields,” she says.
Through the STEM Days programme, ladies aged 9 to 12 take part in free workshops that introduce them to science, engineering, and expertise by way of hands-on actions and experiments.
For older college students, aged 13 to 16, a week-long STEM Camp affords a spread of experiences together with workshops, talks by business professionals, and academic visits to expertise corporations and analysis establishments.
The aim will not be solely to spark curiosity but additionally to construct confidence and present ladies that careers in STEM are each achievable and rewarding.
Scholarships opening doorways
Financial limitations can usually discourage proficient college students from pursuing larger schooling. To handle this problem, Frederick University affords substantial scholarships to girls enrolling in STEM programmes.
All feminine college students becoming a member of these programmes obtain a 50% scholarship, whereas, in collaboration with Chevron Cyprus, two full scholarships are awarded every year.
Since 2022, Chevron Cyprus has supported the college’s scholarship programme, serving to be certain that monetary limitations don’t forestall proficient younger girls from pursuing their ambitions. Through this partnership, greater than 10 full scholarships have already been awarded to girls based mostly on educational efficiency and socioeconomic standards.
For Stavriana Rafael, receiving such a scholarship made a life-changing distinction. Coming from a big household with restricted monetary sources, she says the chance allowed her to pursue her dream of learning mechanical engineering.
“I’m happy with my choice,” she says. “It is something I truly enjoy, and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.”
Supporting girls entrepreneurs
Beyond schooling, empowering girls in the financial system additionally requires strengthening their management and entrepreneurial abilities.
Participants from final yr’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) got the chance to proceed their improvement by way of this yr’s Women Entrepreneurs Lab, an intensive programme designed to assist girls develop their companies.
Implemented with the assist of CyprusInno and sponsored by Chevron Cyprus, the initiative features a two-day bootcamp, personalised mentorship, and a last Demo Day the place individuals current their enterprise concepts to buyers and business consultants.
The programme focuses on refining enterprise methods, strengthening management and monetary administration abilities, and making ready individuals to ship investment-ready pitches. It additionally connects entrepreneurs with mentors, buyers, and key companions in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The launch of the Women Entrepreneurs Lab program final weekend, celebrated International Women’s Day by empowering girls to develop professionally and take an energetic position in Cyprus’ enterprise improvement.
Chevron Cyprus Financial Manager, Melina Demetriou stated: “It is truly an honor to be surrounded by such inspiring and accomplished women who are making meaningful contributions to Cyprus’ economic development. On behalf of all my colleagues at Chevron Cyprus, I can confidently say that the Women Entrepreneurs Lab, as a continuation of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, truly embodies the Chevron Way”.