Digital roundtable: The desire and the key support to reduce the digital gender gaps

In order to find answers to the situation experienced by millions of girls and adolescents in our country, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Y Trade carried out the digital table “More TEC girls to reduce gender gaps among adolescents”.

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In this activity we learned about the situation experienced by women, especially the younger ones, regarding their access to technology and their vocations for careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The table was made up of Sabrina Delgado, programming student; Ivette Johnson, Chemical Engineer and Sales Force Account Manager; Alejandra Ramírez, New Ventures Learning Experience Manager of Laboratoria; Laura Salamanca, deputy representative of Unicef ​​in Peru; Luisa Martínez, Unicef ​​Gender and Development officer; and Juan Aurelio Arévalo, journalistic director of Trade. The moderation was in charge of Andrea Cavero, spokesperson for the project +Chicas Tec.

During her participation, Luisa Martínez from Unicef ​​shared the results of a report made by her institution on the digital gender gap. In addition to detailing the different types of existing gender gaps, the study focused on those found by adolescents to access and use the Internet.

The importance of motivation

In his turn, , but who later opted for web programming, finding that his hobbies had points of coincidence in technology. However, she commented that she did encounter many obstacles due to being a woman. “Even from my own family. Some commented on things like everything would be easier in the world of programming if I had been a man, ”she recounted. However, the support of her parents was essential to follow her dreams.

Then, first by buying her a computer when she was a child, and then by encouraging her to apply to summer programs at MIT while she was still in high school. “I applied and was rejected. But my mom encouraged me to write a letter to claim the decision and they accepted me. I went for two summers in a row, between third and fourth year of high school. I had basic classes, I met professors, what the academic and research culture was like at MIT and I said to myself: ‘this is the place for me’”.

During his participation, Juan Aurelio Arévalo, journalistic director of El Comercio, indicated that from the newspaper we always “seek to generate changes”, especially on issues such as the access of girls and adolescents to STEM careers, which, in addition, is a problem that is It has worsened with the pandemic.

“There are still many stereotypes to break down. But that is something that can be achieved if you work together with families, teachers and parents. But, in addition, if successful voices of women are heard in these areas, ”she highlighted.

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Source: Elcomercio

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