Despite the efforts being made today to combat gender inequality, women make up only a third of the workforce in the fields of science and technology. To overcome the biases still present in society, it is crucial to talk about women's professional achievements on a daily basis. This was emphasized by Serhiy Tokarev, an IT entrepreneur and investor, co-founder of the technology company Roosh, in his Facebook post dedicated to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
"In Roosh ecosystem companies, we pay a lot of attention to achieving gender equality because we see it as the right thing from all perspectives. From a business standpoint, it leads to many innovative solutions that arise from teams with an equal ratio of men and women. Despite efforts at the business and government levels, the global issue of gender imbalance remains relevant, not only in the IT sector," shared the businessman.
Tokarev also shared information about the activities of the Ukrainian educational project STEM is FEM, which promotes science among Ukrainian girls. The project focuses on informal education, encouraging youth to choose STEM specialties and introducing female researchers. Through various activities such as educational modules, courses, and webinars, Ukrainian and international women experts share with girls the soft skills that can complement the hard skills acquired at schools and universities.
Another goal of the project is to create a community of like-minded individuals who will support and motivate each other.
One of the participants in the STEM is FEM community is 18-year-old Yuliia Tkachenko. In high school, she began researching drones. At that time, she discovered a drawback in Bayraktar drones: they struggle to operate in bad weather conditions, as it is difficult for them to aim in snow, rain, or fog. Therefore, Yuliia proposed a solution to the problem: adding a laser sight to the drone. While studying in the 11th grade, she, along with a professor from the National Aviation University, developed a radar station for the Ukrainian military. Currently, Yuliia is a student at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and is involved in an IT startup in the healthcare sector.
Another member of the community is Nadiia Kasyanchuk, who is in the final year of her master's program at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland. She studies medical biotechnology and works with genomic data, specifically researching microbiome changes in patients with Parkinson's disease. Nadiia is a co-author of 11 articles published in Scopus-indexed journals. In 2023, she received four awards at prestigious international conferences in Germany, Slovakia, Moldova, and Latvia. Additionally, Nadiia teaches the course "Human Genetics & Society" at the Kyiv School of Economics.
Projects like STEM is FEM serve a crucial role: they not only implement educational initiatives but also lay the groundwork for the creation of powerful communities for women in STEM fields. By developing such initiatives, Ukraine is not only moving towards a more just society but also towards a more advanced economy. According to data from the Global Institute McKinsey & Company, reducing the gender gap can contribute to the increase of the country's GDP.
STEM is FEM is an educational project aimed at promoting STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) among girls. The project brings like-minded individuals together, creating a community where girls support each other, share ideas, and grow together. STEM is FEM was initiated by Ukrainian IT entrepreneur and co-founder of the technology company Roosh, Serhiy Tokarev. In 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine honored the project with the title "Honorary Ambassador of Ukraine in the field of scientific and educational diplomacy."
