Closing the digital gender gap
According to the European Commission’s Women in Digital Scoreboard 2021, women represent only 41% of STEM graduates (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and 19% of ICT specialists. An increase in the number of women entering the digital skills market would generate an additional annual EUR 16 billion for the European economy.
Research shows that increasing diversity in leadership not only generates revenues but also boosts problem-solving as well as team performance indicators. Under the coordination of EIT RawMaterials, the Girls Go Circular project is doing its share in contributing to reducing the digital gender gap by empowering girls aged 14-19 in Europe to develop their digital and entrepreneurial competencies while acquiring knowledge on the circular economy.
The online learning platform developed in the framework of the project – the “Circular Learning Space” – offers students the option of choosing between different learning modules on topics like e-waste, climate change, food, or robotics. These modules are based on a learning-by-doing approach, transferring knowledge and skills through an interactive, challenge-based structure.