Gillian Keating and Caroline O’Driscoll explore the opportunities for women and girls in STEM and the many challenges.
Caroline O’Driscoll and Gillian Keating are the founders of I Wish, a national campaign for gender equality in STEM that inspires, values and empowers teenage girls. A major event in the organization’s annual calendar is the I Wish Festival, which this year welcomed nearly 4,000 girls to RDS in Dublin.
Here they had the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and role models, hear about real career journeys and see STEM careers as visible, accessible, and relevant. According to O’Driscoll, the festival directly addresses gaps in STEM education for young women by connecting them with role models and providing guidance.
“Over the past 12 years, I Wish has built a sustainable, inclusive and gender-equal STEM ecosystem in Ireland, supporting girls from primary school through tertiary education,” O’Driscoll told SiliconRepublic.com.
“Many alumni return as volunteers, mentors and speakers, highlighting the program’s lasting impact in building confident, talented young women who believe they belong in STEM.”
Discrimination that affects girls and women often starts early and accumulates over time, noted Keating, who explained, the lack of visible role models in leadership positions is important, especially since confidence gaps created by the social situation and structural barriers prevent access to STEM studies.
“This discrimination is not usually about talent, it’s about availability, motivation, and participation,” she said.
That is why, for both O’Driscoll and Keating, “Progress in STEM equity does not come from one event or one step. It comes from consistent commitment, collaboration and belief in potential”.
Keating said, “This is for all of us. The II Wish Festival is important because it’s not just asking girls to become familiar with STEM, it’s asking STEM to become familiar with girls. That change in thinking starts when real, lasting change takes place.”
The future of Ireland
A recent study of Center for Economic and Social Research (ESRI) has found that Ireland currently has the largest gender gap in Europe in the use of advanced digital skills in the workplace. Research has found that 44pc of men in Ireland use advanced digital skills in their careers, compared to just 18pc of women. The 26pc difference is close to double the European average.
Professor Joyce O’Connor, founder and chair of Block W, which participated in the research, noted the fact that in an economy like Ireland’s, which is close to full employment, “failure to fully utilize the enhanced digital skills of women already in the labor market is ineffective and unsustainable”.
This point was echoed by O’Driscoll who said, “Ireland’s future economy depends heavily on STEM skills, innovation and problem solving.
“By enabling girls and women to fully contribute their skills and expertise, Ireland benefits from a larger, more diverse talent pool, stronger innovation and creativity, better decision making and problem solving and a workforce that reflects the society they serve. Gender mainstreaming in STEM is both a social responsibility and an economic imperative.”
First impressions
While the present is always a good place to start, when trying to reverse biases or break down barriers, often the work begins at birth and never ends. O’Driscoll explained that educational institutions and workplaces often close the gap for girls and women in STEM.
She said, “At the primary level, gender-inclusive STEM education is important. At the secondary level, they should expose girls to programs like I Wish to connect learning with real-world jobs.” At the third level they need to provide targeted training and support. At the industry level they need to support flexible approaches that affect different life stages and responsibilities. “
But to really improve the program, for all women, Keating stressed the importance of providing ongoing support and when you do, showing others how it can be done.
Speakers at the I Wish Festival included Olympic paracyclist Richael Timothy, International Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins and Olympians Louise Shanahan and Gráinne Walsh. They all shared their real work journeys, highlighting both the challenges and the successes they encountered.
“Our mission is simple but powerful,” said Keating, “if even one girl in our audience leaves I Wish feeling that she is truly a part of this space and inspired to achieve her dreams, then we consider it a true victory. Through these stories, we hope to inspire belief, courage and a sense of possibility in all participants.”
O’Driscoll confirmed the importance of a strong role model, saying that if young girls are looking at their future and the careers they may want, seeing women succeed in STEM can help them envision themselves in the same role, breaking stereotypes about who belongs in these fields.
She said, “Our I Wish survey repeatedly shows that girls want more information about STEM and say that access to female role models has a positive impact on their choices. One of I Wish’s main goals is to connect girls with inspiring women in STEM, not just to inform them, but to support them.”
“By inviting women to share their stories and engage directly with students, I Wish creates a network of support that helps girls feel they belong and that their paths are real and possible.”
Don’t miss out on the information you need to succeed. Sign up for Daily BriefSilicon Republic’s digest of must-know sci-tech news.
