Latin American open data for gender-equality policies focusing on leadership in STEM

 

A lack of recent and reliable data is partly to blame for gender gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in Latin America. This project aims to contribute to the generation of cross-country comparable data to assess policies and interventions to reduce the gender gap in STEM, especially by increasing the number of female leaders in universities, industries, and public institutions.

The project team will map the factors that influence the career development of women in STEM, document and analyze successful and less successful initiatives, and identify lessons learned. An open-data infrastructure will be used to map the information and build a platform for improved collaboration between those in education, government, and industry seeking to reduce the STEM gender gap in Latin America. The platform initially will be available in three languages (Spanish, Portuguese, and English), starting with the three countries participating in the consortium – Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru – with a view to future expansion to other countries in the region and elsewhere.

This project is part of a cohort of seven projects that were selected following IDRC’s call for proposals to the Gender in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Research Initiative. The aim of the cohort is to increase the contribution of science to gender equality. It seeks to advance women’s leadership and participation in STEM, and to increase gender analysis in STEM research.