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STEM is FEM is a Ukrainian charitable educational initiative. It aims at motivating schoolgirls to choose technical professions for further study and careers and to achieve gender parity in the areas that are stereotypically considered male ones. The project was initiated by GenIT founder, Reface investor, and Cyprus IT Forum partner Sergey Tokarev.
‘The projecе’s first module took place in autumn 2019. It was on biotechnology. Back then, we saw with our own eyes that girls are truly excited about STEM. With each new module, the community expanded more and more. Even the quarantine couldn’t prevent this process. Two modules had to be held online and they nevertheless managed to attract an even larger audience,’ says Sergey Tokarev.
During the year, the project conducted six educational modules. They were attended by more than 200 girls from different regions of Ukraine. There were also several hundred more girls who took part in qualifying competitions for the modules and in open educational events organized by STEM is FEM together with partners from international organizations.
‘There were large international companies interested in achieving gender parity in the STEM fields that joined the project, as well as such international organizations as Ukrainian missions of the United Nations, the US and Finnish embassies in Ukraine, and UNICEF. The girls could listen to prominent speakers, including representatives of government authorities, employees of scientific institutions, and women in senior positions in various fields,’ Tokarev said.
The last module covered topics related to mechanical engineering. It took place in Kyiv at the end of August 2020. The girls listened to motivational speakers, attended educational lectures, and visited specialized institutions. In particular, they had an excursion to the State Aviation Museum. Apart from that, three dozen school students from all over Ukraine presented their ideas on the development of mechanical engineering in the following two decades.
According to Tokarev, now the project is preparing for a new module on construction and architecture. It is planning to take place in mid-October.
