11 February 2020, Curitiba, Brazil - Science and equal rights between men and women are crucial for the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Presently, less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated each year on February 11 with the objective of educating the public and mobilizing support towards full and equal access to and participation in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics)-related fields for women and girls.

The International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders in Curitiba (CIFAL Curitiba) and the Federation of Industries of the State of Parana (FIEP) in collaboration with public and private sector institutions, as well as civil society partners is committed to promote access and participation of women and girls in science. Some of the activities led by CIFAL Curitiba to contribute to this goal includes training on leadership skills, technical support to participate and develop innovative science and technology projects.

This special Day was inaugurated with the opening of the exhibition “Women in Science” hosted at the FIEP Headquarters in Curitiba, Brazil.  The exhibition included the art developed during the 2019 edition of the “Women and Science Infographics Contest” conducted by CIFAL Curitiba. More than 440 students participated in the 2019 Contest, producing infographics that highlighted the achievements and participation of women in STEAM fields. For this year’s exhibition, the best 25 infographics were selected and published.

On this occasion, CIFAL Curitiba, SESI Schools in partnership with the Executive Management of Strategic Projects and the Executive Management of Education Units of FIEP launched the 2020 Women in Science Contest. This year’s contest aims to encourage students to develop short videos about professional women working in the STEAM fields in their respective cities or region, and who are contributing or have contributed to the development of the state of Paraná.