The event marks the launch of the 7th edition of #científiques, in which over six hundred women scientists will deliver talks to nearly 38,000 students across Catalonia.
More than two hundred Catalan women scientists gathered on 5 February at the Auditorium of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) for the #científiques Meet-up, which officially launched the seventh edition of this initiative. #científiques is the only Catalonia-wide programme commemorating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February. This year, 611 female scientists from public and private institutions across Catalonia will give talks to nearly 38,000 students in 501 schools throughout the region. Their goal is to highlight the strategic role of women in science and technology, promote full and equal access to science for women, and create real and relatable female role models for young students.
The event provided a space for women scientists to meet, debate, and reflect on artificial intelligence, particularly its applications in science and technology and the gender-related challenges it presents.
#científiques is organised by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia.
In his opening speech, Miquel Gómez, Director General of FCRI, highlighted “the essential role of well-established initiatives with broad social impact, such as #científiques, in tackling gender stereotypes and encouraging STEM vocations in primary and secondary education.” Eduard Vallory, Director General of BIST, referenced a study published in Science showing that, from the age of six, gender stereotypes are already ingrained in children, who tend to associate “brilliant” individuals with the male gender. “We need to break this sense of unfamiliarity; we must present women in science and technology as the norm,” he added.
The Catalan Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Esther Niubó, referring to the gender gap in science and technology, stated: “There is clearly something we, as a society, are not doing right, and we must urgently reverse this trend.” Niubó expressed her gratitude to the more than 600 scientists who will be giving talks in schools on 11 February, a sentiment echoed by the Minister for Research and Universities and President of FCRI and PRBB, Núria Montserrat. “By stepping forward, you are establishing yourselves as role models. You are the best ambassadors we have right now, and it is your presence that inspires—not only girls but society as a whole—to break down stereotypes,” Montserrat explained.
BIST Director General, Eduard Vallory (left) and the Catalan Minister of Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat (right).
AI Opportunities and Challenges in Terms of Gender
The #científiques Meet-up featured the talk “What the diversity of life on Earth can teach us about human health”, delivered by Mafalda Dias, head of the Probabilistic Machine Learning and Genomics laboratory at the BIST Community Centre CRG (Centre for Genomic Regulation).
This was followed by a three-way discussion featuring Marta P. Estarellas, CEO of Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, a quantum computing start-up based in Barcelona; Karina Gibert, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and Director of the Intelligent Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Research Centre (IDEAI-UPC); and Rosa Gil, Professor at the Department of Computer Engineering and Digital Design at the University of Lleida (DEIDD-UdL). The researchers unanimously stressed the need for more women to enter highly male-dominated fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and ICT. They also provided concrete examples of the real-world consequences that arise when female perspectives are absent in the development of products and services resulting from research and innovation in these disciplines.
The event featured a performance by the PRBB choir, composed of researchers and research support staff from the Park, who sang “This is Me” from the musical “The Greatest Showman”.
Mafalda Dias (left). Conversation on AI (right).
The Key Issue: Stereotypes
A study by Grimalt-Alvaro, C. et al. (2021) conducted with 1,000 students aged 12 to 16 in the Barcelona area found that, among those most interested in science and technology, a clear gender difference was already evident: while girls were more inclined towards science, boys tended to prefer engineering and technology. This gender bias becomes even more apparent later when choosing university studies. According to the Women and Science report (Department of Research and Universities, Government of Catalonia, 2023), in the 2022-2023 academic year, women were the majority in health sciences (71.16%), arts and humanities (67.74%), and social sciences and law (60.56%); they reached near parity with men in science (53.77%) but remained a small minority in engineering and architecture studies (28.29%).
The paper How to Address Stereotypes and Practices Limiting Access to STEM-Related Education for Women and Girls (Sainz, M., UN Women Expert Group Meeting, 2022), girls’ academic and career choices are influenced by preconceived notions—such as the belief that girls are naturally better at reading and languages, while boys excel in maths, science, and technology—as well as stereotypes about the type of person who works in a given field or the kind of work involved. These stereotypes are often reinforced in classrooms through teachers’ language and educational materials, such as textbooks, and even by parents, who may unknowingly support the idea that boys and girls have different competencies in STEM subjects. Added to this is the lack of female role models and mentors who can inspire, guide, and support girls throughout their professional development in science and technology.
As a result, boys and girls tend to pursue studies and careers that align with these stereotypes.
How Can These Stereotypes Be Broken?
The UN report suggests that programmes and initiatives aimed at tackling STEM-related stereotypes should include the entire social environment of girls: boys, teachers—who should receive specific training to challenge sexist beliefs about academic abilities—and parents. When presenting women role models, it is important not only to showcase extraordinary women who have excelled in STEM fields but also to highlight relatable examples of women with similar social and personal backgrounds.
A Well-Established Initiative
#científiques is an initiative organised as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February), in which women scientists from public and private institutions across Catalonia deliver outreach talks to 6th grade primary school and 1st year secondary school students in Catalan schools. The aim is to introduce students to accessible female scientist role models and help break down gender stereotypes among young people.
Launched in 2019, #científiques has now reached its seventh edition. The first edition saw the participation of 101 scientists and 103 educational centres. Since then, #científiques has continued to grow and now involves over 500 women professionals in science—including researchers, technologists, engineers, innovation managers, entrepreneurs, and executives—as well as nearly 500 schools and secondary schools from almost all counties in Catalonia. It is the only initiative of its kind to cover the entire Catalan territory.
In addition to school talks, #científiques also offers training sessions for both scientists and teachers. The training for scientists, attended by nearly 300 professionals, has consisted of a collaborative workshop to help them prepare their talks. The teacher training programme is a formal 15-hour course providing educators with tools to promote equal access to science by introducing students to female role models in scientific and technological fields. This training is designed to enrich teaching practices and equip educators with strategies that inspire and motivate students—especially girls—to see science as an accessible and attractive path for all. A total of 150 teachers have registered for the programme.
