“Gender equality is an issue that is close to my heart, and the fact that the company where I work is also concerned with achieving gender equality comforts me, inspires me, and fills me with pride,” says Tamara Sandoval, data scientist at the Enel Chile Data Competence Center and one of the participants in the Enel Group’s global “Back to School” initiative, aimed at raising awareness among high school students, specifically young women, around the value of technical and scientific training and overcoming gender stereotypes.
In May 2022, over 160 people from 7 Latin American countries came together to celebrate the launch of this initiative. During the event, Liliana Schnaidt, head of Personnel and Organization comments, “It fills me with pride to know that the culture of gender diversity is a priority that is beginning to become a reality within our company.”
This initiative leverages the passion and experience of the women at Enel, taking them to talk to public and private schools across Chile. In their talks, they share their stories with current students about how they overcame prejudice and gender stereotypes and the opportunities available in technical and scientific careers.
Women continue to be a significant minority in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), both in university programs and professional careers. According to UNESCO, women represent only 35% of enrollment in these types of programs. Meanwhile in Chile, according to data taken from the MINEDUC “2021 Higher Education Gender Gaps” study, they account for only 21% of enrollment in these areas.
Likewise, the 2021 National Policy on Gender Equality in Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation indicates that in Chile, only 28% of students enrolled in engineering and science programs are women, and female presence continues to drop at higher levels of professional development.
Talks that open minds
In this context, and considering that young women in the process of defining their future need all the support they can get when choosing a field of study, “Back to School” and its practical, concrete approach looks to connect with different educational centers to open students’ minds to new options and promote an exchange between two generations.
“I'd like to know how they feel in their work environment, how they work, and why they decided to study what they did,” says Paula Echeverría, senior at Colegio Antilhue. Her classmate, Isidora Álvarez, highlights how these talks open up a greater range of possibilities in the future. “It's a great option because we’re always hearing about the most popular degree programs. There may be people interested in math but who don't know what to study because there’s not much information about these programs on hand,” she says.
295 student participants
The “Back to School” program has visited 8 schools around the Metropolitan and other regions, benefiting over 295 students, who have been able to talk with Enel's female professionals, learn about their work experience, and discover opportunities related to STEM training.
