During the plenary session (7-10 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on promoting gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers: opening statement by Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), rapporteur and by Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

gender balance (T)

SOLÍS PÉREZ, Susana (Renew, ES)

DALLI, Helena (MT, EC)

Promoting gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers: opening statements by Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), rapporteur and by Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOL&Iacute;S P&Eacute;REZ (Renew, ES), Thank you, President. And it's a pleasure to present this report to the European Parliament. 30 years ago, I studied engineering and we were a minority. Then I worked in the automotive sector and there were very few women there as well. At that time, those of us working in technology were very few women.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), As women have made progress more in our equality, we've seen drastic changes, or at least we could have done. I'm very concerned that technology is transforming our societies in unimaginable ways. But women should be represented more in these areas.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Today, 36 percent of science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM subjects graduates are women. But if we look at digital areas or artificial intelligence, the figures dropped to 12 percent, more or less. These percentages vary from member state to member state, but the trend is the same and the figures don't seem to be moving much.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Many young people are looking to their future and universities and we have to look at the social impact of those who are represented in STEM careers. We also have to look this time at Europe. Europe is defining its future. What's going to happen? The recovery plan. We know that the recovery plan is going to be focussed on science and technology. So this report is more important now than ever.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Therefore, we say to the Commission and member states that they have to focus on this challenge for the future because it's not just a question of justice or equality. We're also talking about the social and economic consequences of this imbalance.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), For instance, it's thought that in digital and scientific areas, jobs are going to increase 20 percent in the coming years if women don't take up these jobs, which are better paid jobs as well, and we don't develop our digital capacities, then the gap and the wage gap and the pensions gap is going to be even wider than ever.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Furthermore, if women are not represented in the technologies that are going to mould the future of our societies and our world, then we're going to continue to see shortcomings in design and inequality and discrimination. Therefore, we have to act to do that. We have to attack problems at the root from early education.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), We're not talking about imposing things on people. We have to allow people to act with freedom, but to eliminate the barriers, the stereotypes and the problems that exist. Boys and girls have the same instincts and abilities. It's further on. It's later in their life that they give up certain subjects. We have to ensure that we have more women represented.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Children have to understand that this work will have a social impact and that they'll be supported in this in this report. We also look at the role of media and teachers. They are going to be key to overcome stereotypes. Furthermore, we have to ensure that women don't give up and they have to be able to extend and prolong their career without more inclusive conditions.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Many will give up along the way. Women have children in the most prolific times of our careers. Therefore, we need to make progress when it comes to maternity and paternity leave. If men aren't included, then we're not going to make progress. Also, the wage gap is still a problem today and the European Union can't stop on the wage transparency directive.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), We have to make up for the problems that exist and we have to work with technology companies. We also have to ensure that we have more inclusive employment and labour conditions to ensure that we have more security. And that we continue to work on all this.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), Finally, I just want to emphasise as well the low level of representation of women in start-ups and the problems faced by female entrepreneurs in gaining access to financing. According to an EIB Report, companies that are wholly led by women only receive two percent of EU funding.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), So we need to have specific mentoring projects in order to increase the number of female directors. I'd like to thank all colleagues who have participated in this report, and I'm sure that we will be able to open up the doors to education and Labour policies that will allow us to improve the position of women in this area.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Susana SOLÍS PÉREZ (Renew, ES), If Covid taught us anything, it's the importance of science in overcoming social problems. Without science, we won't have the responses that we need. And if we don't have women, then the future will be designed for men, by men. Together we can do better for all of us. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, President, honourable members. I thank the rapporteur, Mrs Susanna Sassoli Spertus, the shadow rapporteur and the entire committee for this excellent report. And the European Parliament and the European Commission fully recognise equality between men and men as a strategic priority.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The report welcomes the Digital Education Action Plan, which sets out a strategic approach to digital transformation in education and training, including the fight against underrepresentation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and maths and the digital sector.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Men still represent more than 80 percent of the workforce and only one in three science, engineering and mathematics graduates are women. So given the need to stimulate diversity, one of the actions of the new Digital Education Action Plan responds to the need to increase the participation of women in STEM fields.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The teaching of scientific and technical subjects is also a priority for cooperation. Projects in higher education under the Erasmus Plus 2021 Work Programme. Ongoing work within the framework of the EU Coalition in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics will be exploited in conjunction with the results of already funded Erasmus plus projects.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The aim is to support the sharing of the best practises available in the framework of European diverse European university alliances and the establishment of national platforms in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This action will contribute to the development of new higher education programmes for engineering and information and communication technologies.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Based on this team approach, STEM constitutes a multidisciplinary set of educational approaches, breaking down traditional divisions between subjects and disciplines in order to link the teaching of STEM and information and communication technologies to that of the arts, human sciences and social sciences.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The Covid 19 crisis has strengthened the stereotypical roles of women and men, and thus we need to foster the full talent pool and promote women's role and participation in all fields and all levels, such as in management. The Digital Education Action Plan also addresses the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, including gender bias, by developing ethical guidelines on A.I. and data in education and training.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The Commission expert group responsible for developing the guidelines was recruited recently, and we launched guidelines in September 2022 as part of the Back to school campaign and accompanied by awareness raising activities. Education plays an important role in combating the underrepresentation of women in the field of development of new technologies and research.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The PISA survey shows no difference in the skills of boys and girls in science and gender. Differences widen when young people enter university and choose specific subjects and careers, so to help member states promote equality in education and training.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, And working group on equality and Values in Education and Training will provide guidance for the use of gender disaggregated data for the purposes of assessing policy reforms by the end of 2022. So gender equality is in fact one of the priorities of the new European research area. And the Horizon Europe programme makes it one of its transversal principles.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Your report recognises the efforts made by the Commission to encourage participation of women in STEM, in particular within the framework of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, while regretting the persistence of inequalities between women and men in terms of equal access to positions and funding within the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Current efforts with the support of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its knowledge and innovation communities have helped to organise training activities for girls in primary, secondary and higher education in order to stimulate digital skills.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The action is expected to reach 40000 young female students by introducing several new provisions in Horizon Europe, such as a new eligibility criteria. We want to bring change from 2020 to higher education and research institutions must put an action plan for gender equality in place to participate to the programme, amongst other initiatives.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The Women in Tech EU, within the European Innovation Council, aims to foster the creation of tech start-ups by women and support women entrepreneurship within the framework of the new European research area. We will develop, together with member states, a talent platform which will go beyond the current Eurex platform and will pay particular attention to equality between women and men.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The Commission is also pleased with The Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions, a programme for doctoral education and post-doctoral training which encourages women to apply. Women Researchers represent more than 41 percent of the number of researchers in the programme. So this percentage is even higher amongst doctoral candidate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, So nearly four to five percent and postdoctoral researchers, nearly 42 percent who are funded by the programme. So the gender dimension is an important selection criterion and the evaluation process.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The programme also supports equal opportunities through the principle of equal pay for all beneficiaries and providing family allowances, maternity and parental leave, and the possibility of part time work for family or personal reasons for everyone.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, In addition, the commission has introduced new measures through the New Framework Programme in order to make this financial support fairer, more gender friendly and more inclusive than it currently is. The Commission remains committed to continue working with Parliament in recognising equality between women and men as a strategic priority in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Thank you.