The #100tífiques initiative aims to highlight the contribution of women in various fields of science and technology, break gender stereotypes, and provide young people between the ages of 11 and 13 with real role models, inspiring a vocation for science.
To commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, BIST, along with the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRI) and in collaboration with the Generalitat’s Departments of Education and Research and Universities, organizes #100tífiques. This initiative, which began in 2019 with the goal of bringing 100 women scientists to 100 schools in Catalonia, is now in its sixth edition and will mobilize, on February 7th, more than 500 scientists to reach over 30,000 students.
The #100tífiques 6th edition kicked off on February 1st with the Meet-up event, held at the Auditorium of the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB-UPC-BarcelonaTech). The Meet-up, attended by around 200 women scientists, technologist, enterpreneurs, and institutional representatives, provided a space for reflection, debate, and training, with a focus on the technological field, where the gender gap is particularly significant.
In the opening of the event, the Rector of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya·BarcelonaTech (UPC), Daniel Crespo, emphasized that achieving gender parity in the scientific and technological fields requires going beyond laws and also achieving an “attitude change.“ “Whether a girl decides to approach the world of technology or not will depend on education and environment,” he added.
The director of BIST, Eduard Vallory, mentioned the report by the European Commission She Figures 2021, which indicates that despite achieving gender parity in obtaining doctoral degrees in Europe, “we are still far from parity in fields such as physics, mathematics and statistics, information technology, or engineering.”
In this context, the Catalan Goverment Minister of Education , Anna Simó Castelló, highlighted that there is still a long way to go in the educational field: “Today, boys and girls still predominantly choose studies and professions according to the role assigned to them historically: the field of care for girls, and science and technology for boys. We see it clearly among students who choose vocational training: to give extreme examples, the Integral Aesthetics and Well-being cycle is occupied by 98% girls, while there is not a single (0%) girl in the Aircraft, Helicopter, or Ship Maintenance Cycles.”
The role of the #100Scientists program in promoting this change of mentality among boys and girls was acknowledged by the Secretary General of the Consell Interuniversitari de Catalunya (CIC) of the Department of Research and Universities, Laura Román Martín: “#100Scientists has become a reference for the Catalan community of researchers and also for schools, which, in addition, showcases women and their research and encourages scientific vocations among girls, especially in highly masculinized fields, such as technology.”
The event also featured performances by Laura Farré Rozada, a pianist, mathematician, and researcher, who played pieces inspired by mathematics. Farré Rozada is also the director, scriptwriter, and presenter of two radio programs that combine science with mathematics, one on Catalunya Música and the other on Radio Clásica.
The program of the Meet-up included a talk by Alba Cervera Lierta, a researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, who reviewed the past, present, and future of quantum technologies.
Sisterhood and the need to create a community among women were the focus of a roundtable discussion featuring technologists leading four initiatives to support women in scientific and technological fields: Regina Llopis, president of AIA and co-founder of WA4STEAM (Women Angels for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Architecture, and Mathematics); Mireia Colina, commercial vice president at Leaf Space and co-leader and founder of the local chapter of Women in Aerospace Barcelona; Mireia Hernan, strategy 2030 and accountability director at Aigües de Barcelona and president of the Polytechnic Women’s Club of UPC Alumni, and Nuria Mir Font, executive director of GFT. The roundtable was moderated by the professor at UPC and president of the Catalan Society of Technology, Núria Salán Ballesteros. The discussion emphasized the importance of networking among women. In the words of Nuria Mir Font: “Even though I have always worked surrounded by men, in the most important moments of my professional career, when I stumbled, there was always a woman who helped me.”
The Meet-up concluded with the traditional photo and some refreshements to accompany the informal networking time among the participants. In the early afternoon, a workshop to prepare the #100tífiques talks at the schools was done also at the ETSEIB premises.
The 2024 edition of #100tífiques mobilizes half a thousand women scientist from both the public and private sectors
As it was shown in a short video in the Meet-up, #100tífiques was born in 2019 with the participation of 101 scientists and 103 educational centers. Since then, it has continued to grow and can be considered a well-established initiative: every year, it mobilizes around five hundred women professionals in science—researchers, technologists, engineers, innovation managers, entrepreneurs, directors, etc.—and schools and institutes from almost all Catalan regions.
Of the total participants in 2024, 65% of the women #100tífiques come from public research organizations, including universities and research centers from both CERCA and CSIC, among which the University of Barcelona stands out with 46 researchers, the IRB Barcelona with 19, and the Autonomous University of Barcelona with 18. The 35% of the participants work in companies such as HP, Boehringer Ingelheim, Provital Group, Grupo Menarini, Lubrizol, Alcon, BASF, B. Braun; Aigües de Barcelona, BBVA, Werfen, Allianz, Eurecat and Henkel.
On February 7th, all these women will explain who they are, their passions and their jobs to an audience of 11 to 13-year-old students from 451 schools. A central event, which will be available for streaming, will be conducted from the Auditorium Josep Irla, in the city of Girona. With the presence of 120 students from the secondary school Jaume Vicens Vives, the central event will feature an interview by Sílvia Planella, founder and director of ENGINY, with Paula Costas, a lighting designer, photographer, singer and participant in the “Eufòria” talent show (TV3).
In this #100tífiques edition, participating scientists have been able to enjoy workshops to prepare their talks facilitated by communication professionals. Similarly, teachers have had access to specific training to make the most of the scientist’s visit to the school or institute.
Watch photos from the #100tífiques Meet-up, and see the video of the whole event
Enllaç a la nota de premsa de la Trobada de #100tífiques (CAT) Enllaç a la nota de premsa de la 6a edició de #100tífiques (CAT)
