Project made in VMU: Striving for gender balance via educaTion reformation, 3A factors for Advancement, and Mentorship in STEM

ST3AM

Project Name: Striving for gender balance via educaTion reformation, 3A factors for Advancement, and Mentorship in STEM

Project ID: KA220-HED-F7461335

Start Date: 01/10/2024

End Date: 30/09/2027

Visit the project’s website: https://st3am-project.eu/

Coordinator:

ESTIA – ECOLE SUPERIEURE DES TECHNOLOGIES INDUSTRIELLES AVANCEES

Partners:

INNOVATION HIVE

UNIVERSITETET I SOROST-NORGE

UCLAN CYPRUS LIMITED

VYTAUTO DIDŽIOJO UNIVERSITETAS

PANEPISTIMIO DYTIKIS ATTIKIS

POLITECHNIKA LODZKA

ST3AM aims to address gender discrimination in EU STEM higher education, where women remain underrepresented despite progress. According to UNESCO’s 2023 report, only 28% of researchers are women, and this imbalance is largely due to discrimination rather than lack of skills. Education and gender equality are key components of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and essential to achieving broader goals. In 2023, EU Commissioner Helena Dalli emphasized the need for women’s active participation to drive innovation and equality in STEM fields.
Initiatives like Women TechEU, which provided €3.8 million to 50 women-led tech startups, aim to close the gender gap and boost economic growth. Studies show that encouraging more women in STEM could increase EU GDP by 3% by 2050, generating up to €820 billion. Although women represent 48% of EU citizens with postsecondary education, only 25% of self-employed STEM professionals are women. Overall, ST3AM promotes female participation in STEM by fostering an inclusive, non-discriminatory environment, contributing to both gender equality and economic growth.