Attracting Girls to ICT - Strategy of Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Digitalization and automation have profoundly transformed both, societies and economies, further accelerating with the COVID19 pandemic and directly impacting our daily lives. With the increased use of digital technologies, the demand for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) specialists has consequently grown rapidly in Italy as in many other countries in Europe, creating an urgent need to attract more women in the field as well.
In Italy, in 2022, ICT specialists represented 3.9% of total employment, an increase of 27% compared to 2012. Women presented only 16% of ICT specialists, which is lower than the European average of 18.9%.
The promotion of gender equality and the access of women to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics professions) are important challenges for the Emilia-Romagna Region in Italy. This is the context for Digital Girls ER project, an extension of the Digital Girls project launched in 2014: an initiative promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region with the collaboration of ART-ER and supported by the regional universities and school office. The project contributes to reducing the gender gap in the digital technologies sector, actively involving high school girls with stimulating and creative ICT activities.
In 2022, 222 girls participated in eight summer camps. In 2023, the project was further expanded in collaboration with local training institutions and with the involvement of the Piacenza branch of the Polytechnic of Milan, allowing even more widespread coverage in the region. There were 16 free summer camps for around 300 high school students. Girls learned programming languages, developed apps and applied elements of artificial intelligence. In addition to the training activities, they participated in study visits to places of innovation in Emilia-Romagna and received information on post-diploma orientation.
The project worked on raising awareness by offering testimonies from women researchers, teachers and ICT professionals. Digital Girls ER is part of a broader set of actions and measures that the Regional Government is carrying out to combat the stereotypes and obstacles that still today limit women's participation in STEM studies and consequently in professional opportunities in the areas with a greater technical-scientific vocation.
The objective is to concretely demonstrate that digital is equally "a girl thing". Among the initiatives, the call issued by ER.GO - Regional Company for the Right to Higher Education of Emilia Romagna - offering scholarships for female students enrolling in STEM degrees increased by 20%.
All of this fall within the scope of the activities of “Data Valley Bene Comune”, the Digital Agenda of Emilia-Romagna 2020-2025 which includes the challenge on the topic of Digital Skills, aiming at the dissemination of advanced digital skills and awareness in all levels of age and in multiple sectors, involving citizens, schools, training institutions, business and trade associations and other subjects. Particular attention is dedicated to "Women and digital" to combat gender gaps.