Angola is witnessing a growth in the number of women interested in the areas of Science and Technology, according to the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Alice Almeida.
Speaking at the end of a meeting at the Luanda Science Center, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Secretary acknowledged that, despite this growth, the number is still not what was desired.
Aice Almeida also revealed the existence of several projects to encourage and empower young women, highlighting the award of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, of which 50 percent are intended for women and girls.
The meeting involved women and girls and served to facilitate contact and sharing testimonies of life from one generation to the next.
BUT: Executive emphasizes increase in women’s access to new technologies
On the occasion, biologist Fernanda Lages encouraged women and girls to increasingly enter the areas of Science and Technology, in order to combat the poor access of this segment of the population to scientific research.
The teacher and researcher also encouraged teenagers and young people to pursue their desired careers and not let cultural issues and prejudices constitute barriers to accessing education, technologies and other areas.
“Everyone's involvement is necessary to end the taboo that there are specific areas for men and women. The involvement of women and girls in science and technology is essential and contributes to the country's development in the most varied areas”, he said.
For neurologist Luciana Guimarães, it is necessary to implement actions so that, from a very early age, girls and, in the future, women have all the conditions to cultivate an interest in entering the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) level of municipal administrations.
