elDiario.es Debate on “Women, Innovation and Science”

“If men had breasts, the belts would be different.” This phrase Teresa Risk GuardianThe Secretary-General for Innovation at the Ministry of Science sums up well how traditionally women have fallen behind in technology and innovation. The reflection came during a digital meeting on “Women, Innovation and Science” organized by Acciona on elDiario.es this Thursday and moderated by Gender Editor-in-Chief. Anna Rekena Aguilar.

In conversation – transmitted Flow For members of elDiario.es – also participated Carmen CamunasDirector Hub Acciona’s Innovation and Nerea Luis MingezaDoctor of Computer Science and SNGULAR Artificial Intelligence Project Manager.

The guests analyzed the gap, which clearly shows the low representation of women in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM, English acronym) and even lower presence at the executive and management levels of technology companies. How do we close this gap?

“Leak pipe”

Using the resemblance of the ‘leak pipe’ as a metaphor in the STEM disciplines of a discriminatory professional career, experts have identified problems at different stages of this vital journey. Teresa for Risk “We have to have a big impact on girls in the school environment and do it before that, in fifth grade and not in high school”; Something Kamunas agrees with: “Girls should learn what they want and not say ‘I’m not here because it’ s very difficult and only boys’.”

You need to force girls to learn what they want

Carmen Camunas
– Director of Acciona Innovation Center

In addition, Kamunas stressed the importance of the role of men, even from childhood: “Children need to know that in the future they can have an older woman and absolutely nothing happens.”

They all shared a common experience in a very masculine career. “In college, research and business, many women get lost on the road because of fatigue, because in the end it is not compatible, because you perceive the micro-mechanisms that burn you,” said Nerea Luis Mingeza. And stressed that it is important for women to reach management positions, which is “from where everything changes and goes down”. Even involvement in the recruitment process: “We miss women. We sell ourselves worse. We are victims of Liar Syndrome while many men do not meet half of their requirements.

Scientists’ resumes show when they gave birth to a child or had to take care of close people.

Teresa Risk Guardian
– Secretary General of Innovation of the Ministry of Science and Innovation

Without losing her job, Teresa Risk recalled that in addition, her scientific career grows with the accumulation of “papers” and research projects: “If you have a two-year break, your career will not grow. You can see in the curricula of women scientists when they had children or had to take care of close people, “she recalled. “.

Motherhood and care focuses much of the debate and points to the paradoxes that arise in a society that does not stop judging women: “If you decide not to take a reduced day after giving birth, you are a bad mother; “And if you decide to break it, it’s because you are lazy and not ambitious,” said Kamunas, who insisted on having a “private life” that would not interfere with his professional career.

Women miss us. We sell ourselves worse. We are victims of Liar Syndrome

Nerea Luis Mingeza
– PhD in Computer Science and SNGULAR Artificial Intelligence Project Manager

Finally, the guests stressed the importance of technological development and scientific research with a gender perspective, warned of the problem of designing day-to-day facilities, computer algorithms, and conducting clinical trials of male-only populations. “The system, what will come out, is what will not work,” warns Teresa Risk.

“The fact that women are involved in the world of research opens the panorama and helps us to finally have a product that works and, above all, is not biased,” Kamunas added.