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International Day of Women and Girls in Science

13.02.23

by Editorial staff

11 February is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, founded by the United Nations.

13.02.23

by Editorial staff

11 February is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, founded by the United Nations.

At Deltatre, we’re global experts in creating and running the next generation of complex technologies that power the sport and media landscapes, and we are also proud to support the next generation of innovators from around the world who want to make their mark in these industries.

One of the ways in which we do this is through our partnership with Girls Code it Better, an initiative founded in 2014 that encourages more girls to go into ICT and STEM careers by showing them the opportunities available to them and giving them practical training and experience of some of the exciting tech they could work with.

There has been great progress around the world when it comes to increasing women’s participation in higher education, and the opportunity to participate in it. That being said, there is still a significant gender gap at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, which makes initiatives like Girls Code it Better so valuable.

“Gender equality has always been a core issue for the United Nations. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution not only to economic development of the world, but to progress across all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well.” - United Nations

Miriam Sibona, Web Developer at Deltatre

Miriam Sibona, Web Developer at Deltatre, spoke with Costanza Turrini, Creator and Project Manager at Girls Code it Better, to discuss the inspiration behind the initiative, and Deltatre’s involvement as a partner.

M: “Costanza, can you tell us a bit more about the origins of Girls Code it Better?”

C: “Girls Code it Better is an orientation and training initiative created to incentivize girls and women to approach tech subjects with pride and confidence, and to break down cultural prejudices on gender diversity within STEM disciplines.

"Young students of first and second-grade secondary schools in Italy are given a challenge following a specific theme such as ‘promoting sport and raising awareness about its beneficial effects across the community’, resulting in a project that relates to a particular area of technical development, thanks to the guidance of the tech coaches.”

M: “Yes! And it was through one of my friends who volunteers as a tech coach that Deltatre became involved in the initiative.”

C: “So, how are you enjoying being involved in this initiative?”

M: “From my perspective, it’s a great way to show young women that there are so many possibilities in the world of STEM. I know that through the schools we support, Liceo Vincenzo Gioberti and the I.C. Manzoni in Turin, about 40 girls are involved this year. They’re getting a great insight into the programming and design of apps and gaming, 3D modelling and printing, virtual reality and augmented reality, web design, web development, videomaking, and graphic design.

Girls at I.C. Manzoni

M: "How did you decide which topics to include on the course?”

C: “We believe that the topics included are broad enough to give the participants a good idea of each subject, and the practical elements make the experience more memorable and beneficial to them for the future. Our coaches are formed to provide the girls with a wide spectrum of technical and practical skills, and they are deeply passionate about sharing their love for STEM disciplines.

“We really want the course to help these young women beyond school, so that they embrace STEM subjects and the career paths they can lead to.”

Girls at I.C. Manzoni

M: “Final question, any spoilers from the project the girls are currently working on?”

C: "The girls at the Liceo Gioberti are working on creating an interactive platform to share the incredible sport, science and tech achievements of prominent female figures they are studying and selecting as inspirational role models. They are experimenting with virtual and augmented reality, as well as web development, web design, video making and graphics.

“At Istituto Manzioni the girls are instead working on identifying ways to improve school well-being and relationships during and after class through sport. They’re designing spaces to bring young people closer to the sport by enhancing the pedestrian area in front of their school. They’re currently learning 3D Design, modelling and printing, as well as web, app and game programming.”