Gender disparities persist in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, and information and communication technology, or ICT, fields — with women making up as little as 35% of enrollments globally and only 19% of engineering graduates. Yet, studies state that reducing this gender gap can improve the quality of research and innovation, and help support a sustainable economy. By 2050, UNESCO predicts that 75% of jobs will be STEM-related, suggesting the urgency to develop skills.
As the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, or CSW69, commences and reviews progress of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, six key areas have been identified to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including bridging the gender digital divide.
Chile’s Beijing+30 report details efforts made over the past five years to mitigate this gap, particularly in STEM education. As co-leader of the Action Coalition on Innovation & Technology for Gender Equality, the Chilean government launched its National Gender Equality Policy for Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation in 2021. This plan outlines over 30 steps to achieve gender equality in these fields by 2030, ensuring women’s full participation in the digital economy.
“As the participation of women in scientific areas continues to increase, more girls and young women will be convinced that it is possible — that science, mathematics, engineering and technology are also women's issues,” Chile’s Women and Gender Equity Minister Antonia Orellana Guarello, told Devex, adding that this is the main impact of this increase.
Devex spoke with Orellana Guarello to hear more about how her government has tackled these issues and the successes she has seen so far.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
As part of your co-leadership role, the government of Chile is committed to taking action to eliminate gender disparities in STEM and ICT in the country. What are the actions?
One of the most important actions that we carried out last year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and with the participation of 39 universities, was the More Women Scientists initiative launched in December 2023. This opened a new admission pathway, offering more than 2,000 spots across 410 academic programs for women in STEM fields. Its aim is to reduce the current gender gap in these careers and encourage greater female representation in these fields.
According to the Department of Evaluation, Measurement and Educational Registration, or DEMRE, which is the institution in charge of the admission process to higher education in Chile, this initiative led to a 16.8% increase in the number of women who entered STEM careers [in 2024] compared to 2023. Female representation rose from 27.2% to 30.2% in just one year. We trust that as the policy becomes more established in universities, we will be able to incorporate more spots and programs, further encouraging and motivating more women to apply to these fields.
We also believe that as the participation of women in scientific areas continues to increase, more girls and young women will be convinced that it is possible — that science, mathematics, engineering, and technology are also women's issues.
This training will then allow them to access an industry with strong growth potential, offering better prospects for employability and income, which will undoubtedly have an impact on their economic autonomy and future quality of life.
How are gender and STEM policies advancing? What is planned for the future to maintain momentum?
We know that these changes occur gradually; it is not something that will happen overnight. The participation figures that we highlight today are the result of decades of transformations, of campaigns to remove the gender bias from these careers, of programs to encourage female enrollment in them, and of women themselves joining STEM areas.
The important thing is to continue on that path — continuing to campaign and encourage girls and young people to enroll in these careers, promoting initiatives such as More Women Scientists and generating partnerships with private organizations.
During the Generation Equality Forum, the government of Chile helped launch the Regional Alliance for the Digitalization of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean. What are the key achievements both at the national and regional levels?
As part of Chile’s presidency at the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, our country spearheaded the creation of a Regional Alliance for the Digitalization of Women, with the goal of reducing the gender digital divide in the region. The initiative received the support of ministers and high-level authorities from national mechanisms for the advancement of women during the 60th Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Conference, held in February 2021.
This public-private alliance, led by the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity until December 2022, was supported by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, or ECLAC, and UN Women, with collaboration from Microsoft, Mastercard, and the NGO Eidos Global. Thanks to this joint effort, the platform “TodasConectadas,” or “All Connected,” was implemented, aiming to provide concrete tools for women in the region to develop digital skills and competencies, enhance their entrepreneurship, and expand their economic and employment opportunities.
The platform offers more than 30 courses designed to help women develop and strengthen their entrepreneurial ventures. Additionally, the platform includes a community space where participants can join regional networks, expand their contacts, share experiences, and explore new business opportunities.
As of December 2022, the platform had reached 18,250 women in 10 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, including Mexico, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile.
Can you tell us more about the multistakeholder approach adopted, as well as how different ministries collaborated to achieve results?
The government of President Gabriel Boric introduced the “Chile para todas” plan aiming to incorporate women’s perspectives into the design of public policies and find solutions to the issues affecting them in their diversity. This plan includes cross-cutting initiatives, measures, and public policies implemented by various state agencies, aimed at addressing the specific needs and inequalities that continue to affect women.
Among these sectoral and intersectoral initiatives, several are focused on fostering women’s economic autonomy and labor participation. Examples include those led by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, such as the 40-hour workweek law, the Work-Life Balance law, the Equal Pay project, and the Karin Law, which aims to prevent, address, and sanction workplace harassment, sexual harassment, and violence.
In terms of labor participation, we are also working with the Ministry of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Development Institute, or INDAP, to train young rural women and to promote and highlight their work (in 2023, we organized a school with adult women). From the Sub-Secretariat of National Assets, we are promoting a program to help women, primarily in rural areas, regularize their property ownership.
Likewise, Sernapesca created a training program aimed at women working in artisanal fishing and related activities, among many other initiatives including the prevention and response to gender-based violence, and joint work we are doing with the Ministry of Health concerning women’s sexual and reproductive rights.
These are just some examples of a broad set of cross-sectoral initiatives that reflect the state’s commitment to women and the need to address their specific needs in public policies, given that they represent 50% of Chile’s population.
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