Problem Statement

 

In Argentina, women face greater barriers than their male counterparts when seeking to enter the job market, access quality employment, and hold decision-making positions. This phenomenon is further accentuated in STEM careers (CIPPEC, 2020). Only 17% of people working in technology in Argentina are women, and only 8% of people in technical roles are women (Chicas en Tecnología, 2021). Similarly, women face barriers to advancement in their scientific careers (CIPPEC, 2021).

 

In 2023 we launched the first edition of StemUp! to tackle this challenge and contribute to promote the leadership and career development of young professional women, in junior positions, or interns in STEM careers in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

In 2024 we are going even further. We have detected that the inequality in the STEM sector is compounded by the vulnerable socio-economic context of our main target audience. Our target populations are the residents of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, commonly known as the "Conurbano," (particularly municipalities belonging to the Western Zone), and residents of underserved neighborhoods from the Capital City. Living in underserved contexts exposes women to various challenges, including social mandates of domestic and caregiving responsibilities, gender-based violence, higher rates of teenage pregnancies, and difficulty in finding time to study. 

 

Thus, our target audience is affected by the intersectionality of vulnerabilities: women who face barriers to attaining leadership positions in the STEM industry, as well as women living in marginalized localities, embedded in unfavorable socio-economic conditions, with a high burden of caregiving tasks, cultural barriers, and stereotypes associated with STEM careers, seeking to advance in their professional careers.

 

Target Group

 

The second version of the project aims to impact young women, who are advanced university students in STEM careers belonging to socioeconomically vulnerable urban communities in Buenos Aires. 

 

Proposed Solution

 

StemUp! provides free-of-charge learning experiences and professional opportunities to the beneficiaries so that they can have a fair chance of advancing to leadership positions in the STEM industries. 

The project consists of a 4 months long training program. In the first month, 4 practical workshops addressing key leadership skills are offered: Effective Communication, Team Management, Personal Brand - Networking, and Career Planning. For the next 3 months, participants are connected with mentors and job shadowing experiences so that they can better plan their professional goals, receive expert advice on how to advance them, and create connections with the industries they want to engage with. All of these activities are complemented by an ever-expanding online community, for accessing continuous training and opportunities, as well as providing support and networking.

 

Hub Activities

 

• Mapping the needs of young female students in STEM careers


• Connecting with universities to understand the gaps in the curricula


• Connecting with companies to understand the skills they look for in employees


• Establish a network of public, private, and third-sector allies to support our activities


• Contact workshop speakers and professional mentors for the program


• Plan, coordinate, and execute 2 editions of the program in 2024 (one from May to August (and a second one from August to November)


• Maintain and grow the online LinkedIn community and offer webinars for this public


• Execute pre- and post-evaluation surveys and 2 impact surveys to women mentored. Do an in-depth interview with some of the participants 

Short-term and Long-term Goals

 

Short term: If young female STEM students attend training workshops, mentoring sessions, job shadowing experiences, and company visits, they will be able to acquire tools, awareness, and exposure to a professional network that will allow them to succeed in their professional path. 

Allow those impacted to increase their leadership skills

Allow those impacted to access 4 mentoring sessions and potentially job shadow experiences and company visits

Allow those affected to develop a networking network with other women at similar levels of their professional development. 

 

Long term: If the beneficiaries develop their career plans while acquiring more skills, they will be able to project themselves professionally into leadership positions, and the STEM industries will become more diverse and inclusive. 

Increase the number of women in leadership positions in STEM careers

Create a network of support for women in STEM

 

 

Available Metrics

 

With the 2 editions of 2024:

Number of women graduating from the workshops (100) 

Number of workshops (8)

Mentoring relations established (50)

Network creation (at least 200 new members in the LinkedIn group)

Number of speakers (8 professional speakers)

Number of mentors engaged (50)

Skills addressed in the workshops (Effective Communication, Team Management, Personal Branding - Networking and Career Planning).

 

Number of partnerships (to date: Cátedra Abierta Latinoamericana Matilda, Universidad Nacional de la Matanza, Universidad Abierta Interamericana)

 

2023 Available Metrics

1. Number of attendees at the event (35 junior women in STEM)


2. Number of workshops (6)


3. Networking creation (140 members of the LinkedIn group)


4. Number of speakers (10 professional speakers)


5. Number of given scholarships (3)


6. Net promoter score of the event (4,5/5)


7. Extent to which the event has contributed to the creation/strenghtening of the participants' network (4,1/2)


8. Topics of the workshops (time management, assertive communication, mental health, career planning).


9. Number of strategic partnerships (4) (Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Universidad Blas Pascal, Venezolanas in Tech, Cerveceria y Malteria Quilmes)

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