Curitiba, Brazil – Throughout March, the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL) in Curitiba jointly with the Education Management and the Social Responsibility Council of the FIEP Group conducted the “Girls in Science” project, which aims to encourage girls’ participation in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
This follows the International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebrated every year on 11 February since 2016. This recognized that women represent 33% of all researchers globally, but only 12% of them are members of national scientific academies. In the fields of technology and innovation, this presence is even lower, with only one in five professionals being a woman (UNESCO). Promoting access to participation in science for women and girls is essential to close the gender gap in science.
The project comprised a virtual meeting for students from Colégio SESI in the state of Paraná and face-to-face meetings in 5 major cities including Curitiba, Ponta Grossa, Londrina, Cascavel, and Maringá, impacting over 466 students. The virtual meeting highlighted and honored the trajectory of engineer Enedina Alves Marques, the first black woman to graduate in civil engineering in Brazil. For each face-to-face meeting, prominent women in industry positions were invited to talk about their trajectories as women in STEM. Additionally, the project included a challenge, which is still ongoing.
Across all 5 cities, our guests were: Cassiana Fagundes (Senai University), Lindamir Casagrande (Federal University of Technology – Paraná), Bruna Amaral (Bosch Group), Tassiele Heinrich (Fiep Group), Daoana Alka Cordeiro (Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná), Izabella Augusta dos Reis Martins (Renault Group) and Isabela Yukimi O. C. Cássaro (Renault Group), Wislaine Bonfim (Madero Group), Júlia Basso (RAC Engineering), Amanda Maloste (Fiep Group), Ana Carolina Leite Feltrin (Nova Brasil), Andreia Silva (Integrada Cooperative), Tatiana Fiuza (Cocriagro – Innovation Hub), Graciele Maeoka (Energy Company of Paraná – COPEL), Camila Fugii (COPEL), Lohayne Alvarenga (Coca-Cola FEMSA), Thais Alencar (Usina Santa Teresinha), Tania Tait (NGO Maria do Ingá Woman’s Rights), Maria Machado (State University of Maringá), Melina Melito (sciBees Scientific Solutions), Débora Soares De Bastiani (Lar Agroindustrial Cooperative), Juliana Pinheiro Biaobok (Automotive Mechanical Technician), Ana Lucia Campana de Souza (Governança Brasil), Patrícia Guerreiro Machado (COPEL).
Enedina Alves Marques was a Brazilian pioneer, becoming the first black female engineer in the country. Born in Curitiba in 1913, Enedina graduated in Civil Engineering from Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) in 1945. Her career stood out in infrastructure and hydroelectric projects in Paraná, facing challenges as a woman and black person. Retired in 1962, she received official recognition and had her legacy immortalized in streets, monuments, and institutions, becoming an icon of overcoming for women and black people in Brazil.
As a result of this project, a contest was launched presenting a challenge in the field of science. Participants were required to submit a video proposing a solution connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results of this initiative will be announced in the coming months.
