STEMAzing aims to address unemployment and empowerment of young women who face barriers due to their gender, remote place of residence and poor socio-economic status, using STEM-as-a-life-skill. It directly addresses gender inequality, marginalization, skills shortages, social exclusion. STEMAzing promotes youth employability and empowerment of young women at risk of marginalization; fight gender inequality and marginalization; addresses job market skills shortage: and promotes social inclusion. STEMAzing Women is designed as a response to the challenge of empowering young people and promoting their employability. It focuses on young women, between the ages of 18 and 25, in risk of marginalization due to their remote place of residence and poor socio-economic situation, and employs an innovative approach to empower them, promote their employability, and create drivers of change who will become multipliers of knowledge in their communities. It approaches this multi-faceted issue using STEM as a life skill. This choice is based on two facts. STEM skills are in increasingly high demand by the job market. Also, STEM is a male dominated field, women who are inclined towards these sectors do not have equal opportunities, support or acceptance. These impediments are even more pronounced when it comes to young women in danger of marginalization, where access to jobs, quality education and training is more difficult and stereotypes more pronounced.
The project aims to:
- empower young women in risk of marginalization through STEM training as a life skill, with the objective of developing essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity;
- encourage young women to pursue STEM education and careers by providing them with the necessary resources and support;
- enhance the employability of young women at risk of marginalization, by equipping them with the skills necessary to succeed in the current job market;
- promote cross-sectoral cooperation and create synergies which will support the employability and integration of young women;
- create “ change agents ” within communities and equip them with experience, training and high-quality innovative deliverables that will serve to multiply the knowledge in their communities;
- empower women to be equal members in their society and increase awareness and openness to inclusiveness and accessibility of knowledge and possibilities;
- produce a replicable and sustainable model for reducing poverty and social exclusion, promoting gender equality, and increasing the pool of skilled workers. 8. reduce gender stereotypes in STEM education and careers, leading to more gender-equitable opportunities
Target Groups: The direct target group of the project is:
- Young women between the ages of 18 and 25, in danger of marginalization, with a special focus on low-income families living in remote or rural areas in Spain, Belgium, Bulgaria, and Greece.
- VET professionals
- Mentors & career counsellors
The indirect beneficiaries of the project include:
- Women organisations
- Families and communities: By empowering young women and increasing their employability, the project can contribute to
the economic well-being of their families and communities. This can have a positive impact on poverty reduction and social mobility.
- Employers: As the demand for STEM skills continues to grow, employers in a range of industries can benefit from a more diverse and skilled workforce, including those who may have previously been excluded from STEM fields.
- Society as a whole: A more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce can contribute to innovation and economic growth, and help to address social challenges such as gender inequality and poverty. Additionally, STEM education and skills can help to prepare young people for an increasingly technology-driven and complex world.
Consortium:
- DRAMBLYS (Spain)
- UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA – LA MANCHA (Spain)
- SOCIAL IMPACT AND INNOVATION (Greece)
- SDRUZHENIE WALK TOGETHER (Bulgaria)
- Connect Your City – Brussels (Belgium)
- NOVEL GROUP SARL (Luxembourg)
- C.I.P. CITIZENS IN POWER (Cyprus)
Project’s Results:
STEMAzing will provide tailored synchronous and asynchronous training on STEM as life skill; will create change agents and empower them to act as multipliers of knowledge, paring them with women mentors in STEM fields, creating links to the business sector, raise awareness on STEM education and careers and provide access to innovative resources. It will reach up to 500 young women, 18-25, at risk of marginalization due to geographical or socio-economic barriers, in the participating countries.
Website:
Social media:
STEMazing women facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556441043088
STEMazing women Linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/stemazing-women-project/
Duration of the project: 01/11/2023- 31/10/2025 (24 months)
Project Reference: 2023-1-ES02-KA220-YOU-000166454