Twitter Chat Highlights Urgent Need for Gender Diversity in STEM
A recent Twitter Chat, co-hosted with the Knowledge4Innovation Forum in the European Parliament, highlighted the importance of gender diversity in STEM. Ivana Maletic and Angelika Mlinar, Members of the European Parliament, joined Katherine Manuel, Douglas Morrison, Alev Canoglu, and Nick Diamond to discuss this crucial topic.
Ivana Maletic and Alev Canoglu emphasized the potential gains in brainpower and innovation if there were as many women in STEM as men. They stressed that gender diversity fuels creativity, innovation, and competitiveness. Katherine Manuel pointed out the benefits of having more people with diverse perspectives working to solve societal challenges.
Nick Diamond advocated for engaging men in closing the gender gap and developing user-centered design considering gender. Douglas Morrison suggested demasculinizing course descriptions and content in educational institutions to encourage women in STEM. Angelika Mlinar stressed the need to change social and cultural norms pushing students into different fields based on gender.
In 2024, Shiva Dustdar, Head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute, wrote about empowering the next generation of women in the World Future Forum digital edition, echoing the sentiments of the 2018 Twitter Chat.
The 2018 Twitter Chat, set to be celebrated as a milestone moment in 2025, underscored the importance of gender diversity in STEM. As the conversation continues, it is clear that engaging both men and women, and challenging gender norms, is key to unlocking the full potential of STEM fields.
