Empowering Young Women: Robot Challenge Receives Green Light

Sunday 11 February is 2024's International Day of Women and Girls in Science. This annual event, organized by the United Nations, aims to promote "full and equal access" to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields for women. In its ninth year, the event continues to highlight the importance of gender equality in the scientific community.

As part of the celebration, the FIRST Robotics Competition held a European challenge in Brussels. The competition attracted 270 school-aged girls, forming 90 teams from 19 different countries. The challenge showcased the talent and potential of these young girls in the field of STEM.

The winning team of the European challenge was from Malta. Their innovative robot was designed to remove CO2 from the air using enhanced weather techniques. This impressive achievement earned them a spot in the upcoming FIRST Tech Challenge Benelux Scrimmage, which will take place later this month.

The European challenge was made possible through the support of Arrow Electronics, a leading technology company. Arrow Electronics funded the event in collaboration with Girls Go Circular's Women and Girls in STEM Forum. Christina Frantz, the director of corporate affairs at Arrow, emphasized the importance of such learning opportunities in cultivating female STEM leaders in the communities they serve.

FIRST Robotics, a STEM partner of Arrow Electronics, hosts international engineering events that challenge teams to build and program industrial-size robots. By participating in these competitions, young girls are encouraged to pursue STEM fields and develop their skills in science and technology.

The Women and Girls in STEM Forum, organized by Girls Go Circular, brought together over 1,200 policymakers, industry leaders, students, and educators. The forum aimed to champion gender equality in STEM and information and communications technology (ICT). By fostering collaboration and dialogue, the forum contributes to the goal of closing the gender gap in these sectors.

Girls Go Circular is an EU-funded education program that focuses on providing digital and entrepreneurial skills to girls aged 14-19. Through an online learning platform on the circular economy, the program aims to encourage young girls to embrace STEM and ICT studies and careers. By aligning with gender equality policy objectives, such as the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 and the New European Innovation Agenda, Girls Go Circular plays a crucial role in empowering young girls and promoting gender equality in STEM.