EJE&CON and the Spanish Royal Mathematical Society (RSME) launch the 5th edition of the steMatEsElla Programme, which seeks to boost the presence of women in STEM careers in Spain

• The registration period for mentors and undergraduate, master's and doctoral students who wish to take part is open until 6 December.
• The initiative, which is completely altruistic, has the support of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT), the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) and Ackermann International
• For the president of EJE&CON, Cristina Sancho, "it is a great satisfaction to have the opportunity to mentor students of Mathematics and other STEM subjects, accompanying them in their development as future managers".
• According to the president of the RSME, Eva Gallardo, "only 16% of STEM professionals are women, so we must activate policies that prevent the gender gap from continuing to widen".

The Spanish Association of Executives and Advisors EJE&CON and the Spanish Royal Mathematical Society (RMSE) have just launched the 5th edition of the steMatEsElla Programme, which seeks to promote the presence of women in STEM careers in Spain: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The initiative, which is completely altruistic, is supported by the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT), the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), and Ackermann International.

For the president of the Spanish Association of Executives and Advisors EJE&CON and the Aranzadi LA LEY Foundation, Cristina Sancho Ferrán, "one of the most satisfying activities that being a member of EJE&CON puts within our reach is participating in the SteMatEsElla program and having the opportunity to mentor female students of Mathematics and other STEM subjects, accompanying them in their development as future managers".

For her part, the president of the RSME, Eva Gallardo, stresses that, according to the World Economic Forum, today only 16% of STEM professionals are women, "so we must activate policies that prevent the gender gap from continuing to widen". In this sense, Gallardo highlights that, according to UNESCO data, in 2050, 75% of jobs will be created in STEM areas.

SteMatEsElla is a mentoring program designed especially for women who are passionate about Mathematics and other STEM disciplines, with the aim of encouraging and supporting their academic and professional growth.  It is open to female undergraduate, master's and doctoral students.

A professional who wants to join as a mentee will have the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of young students by providing valuable guidance on their path to success. As a mentee, she will receive the support and inspiration needed to achieve her career goals.

Among the key objectives of this initiative are to build the confidence and empowerment of women in the STEM field; to provide personalized guidance and expert advice on academic and professional development; and to offer opportunities for networking and professional growth. All information on how to become a mentor or mentee is available on the EJE&CON website: https://ejecon.org/stematesella/#inscripcionprograma.

Activities

The six-month program will include a series of activities such as one-to-one mentoring sessions, thematic workshops, panel discussions, and exclusive networking events. Mentors and mentees must be available and accessible for mentoring activities from the end of January until mid-July 2024. The mentoring sessions will be conducted online, face-to-face or hybrid, as agreed by both participants. The end date of the program is 4 July 2024.

In the last edition, 55 mentors and as many mentees took part, of whom 45 completed the course. Of these, 99% would recommend the programme to others, according to the satisfaction survey carried out with the participants. Most of the mentees were studying for degrees and masters in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Engineering, while the mentors came from both the business world (73%) and the academic world (27%), from disciplines such as engineering (30%), Mathematics (20%), Business (20%), Chemistry (8%) and Health Sciences (7%). 

The programme, led by EJE&CON partner Mariajo Bastero, also includes talks on career opportunities in Mathematics and Engineering.

About EJE&CON

The Spanish Association of Executives and Directors (EJE&CON) is a non-profit organization that promotes the presence of women in senior management and board positions. Founded in 2015, it is made up of more than 1,500 professionals from large companies, executives committed to talent without gender or generational bias. Among the most relevant projects are the EJE&CON Gender-Free Talent Awards, which recognize organizations that work to promote equality, and the EJE&CON Code of Best Practices for Talent Management and Improving Company Competitiveness, which currently has nearly 200 member companies. More information at https://ejecon.org/

About the RSME

The Spanish Royal Mathematical Society is a non-profit institution whose aims include the development of mathematics in Spain, through the promotion of research, education at all educational levels, and the dissemination of mathematics in society. Its main aims are to disseminate the quality and progress of mathematics, to promote its teaching and learning, to transmit its importance to society, and to be a reference in everything related to mathematical sciences and technologies.