Kyndryl México and Papalote Museo del Niño launched Conectadas, an academic initiative designed to carry science and know-how nearer to ladies and scale back gender gaps in science, know-how, engineering, and arithmetic (STEM) fields. The program introduces members to robotics and digital expertise at an early age, aiming to construct long-term curiosity in technical careers.
The collaboration seeks to handle considered one of Mexico’s most persistent inequalities: restricted feminine participation in STEM. According to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), solely three of each 10 professionals in STEM are girls. Studies by UNICEF and the OECD, point out that gender gaps start early. At age 15, 28% of boys count on to pursue a profession in science or engineering, in contrast with simply 9% of ladies. The lack of early publicity, mixed with cultural stereotypes and restricted vocational steerage, has long-term implications for ladies’s financial alternatives and illustration in high-growth industries.
Conectadas offers free weekend workshops the place ladies aged eight to 10 design and construct practical robots utilizing actual instruments and software program. The 2025 version engaged 135 members, chosen from greater than 400 candidates. The program was delivered by 40 Kyndryl volunteers who supplied technical steerage in fundamental mechanics, electronics, and programming.
“Curiosity in science and computational thinking must be nurtured from elementary school with projects that show how technology can solve real problems,” says Carlos Marcel, General Manager in México, Kyndryl, as cited by Expansión. “Exposing girls to STEM early creates opportunities for them to become tomorrow’s scientists, engineers, and technologists.”
These applications should start earlier than stereotypes solidify, says Alejandra Cervantes, Director General, Papalote Museo del Niño. “We need to double efforts to get girls involved not only in professional careers, but in the subjects themselves: physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The barriers must be broken from primary school,” she says.
“Promoting educational programs from early stages is crucial to inspire girls to consider STEM careers as viable options,” says Carlos López, General Manager, KTSA, for MBN.
The initiative aligns with rising worldwide concern over the misalignment between training and labor market wants. A recent OECD analysis found that career aspirations among 15-year-olds have changed little in 20 years, regardless of the transformation of the worldwide economic system. Across OECD international locations, half of ladies count on to enter solely 10 conventional professions, reminiscent of educating and medication, whereas few present curiosity in know-how or engineering. This disconnect limits financial progress and reinforces occupational segregation. “To increase that 8% of Mexican girls wanting to study STEM disciplines, it is critical that change begins with education and awareness from an early age,” says Geny Oceguera, HR Director, Samsung Electronics Mexico, to MBN.
In Mexico, the implications of this imbalance prolong into the labor market. Although girls in STEM fields earn on common 24% greater than in different disciplines, they characterize solely 13% of STEM jobs and 15.5% of positions in the nation’s know-how sector, according to INEGI and the Inter-American Development Bank. Experts warn that automation and AI may deepen these disparities except extra girls are skilled in digital and technical expertise.
UNESCO reviews that ladies account for 33% of researchers worldwide and simply 22% in AI. The company emphasizes that early publicity and mentorship are decisive elements in sustaining girls’s participation. Regional efforts, reminiscent of Mexico’s Conectadas, illustrate how native partnerships between corporations, instructional establishments, and civil organizations can bridge alternative gaps.
Corporate initiatives additionally play a rising position. Samsung Mexico’s Solve for Tomorrow and Merz Aesthetics Latam’s inside mentoring networks each promote management and visibility for ladies in science and know-how. “Scientific research is not exempt from the gender stereotypes present in other workplaces,” says Monalisa Bocchi, Senior Medical Manager, Merz Aesthetics Latam, noting that continued consciousness and mentoring are key to reaching parity.
Business leaders agree that fostering inclusion in STEM is each a social and financial crucial. “Including more women in science and technology is not only a matter of social justice; it’s a smart strategy to ensure an equitable and sustainable future,” writes Tania Beltrán Castillo, Researcher, CIEP.