We need to show by example to children and young people that they can do what they love
The third regional presentation of the teacher training program on elimination of gender stereotypes in education was held in Rijeka yesterday, at PAR College.
On behalf of the hosts, the event was convened by Martina Jurković, vice-dean of PAR, who pointed out that ,,the College had been one of the first university-level institutions in Croatia to adopt a Gender Equality Plan. This practice is now becoming customary in science and education sector in the EU”.
The event was addressed by Zlatko Komadina, Prefect of the Primorsko-goranska County, who highlighted the County’s commitment to this important issue: „Our County is the best practice example in the context of gender equality. Unfortunately, stereotypes are still present, but we do actively work towards their eradication. We were the first to introduce this content into schools, through the curriculum entitled „The School and the Community “. He also observed that increased numbers of women in STEM are a welcome development, as this is, among other things, the area with the least number of unemployed graduates.
Diana Kobas Dešković, the President of MODE 1, presented the training platform „Equality IN Stereotypes OUT “, and pointed out that the platform can help teachers identify and suppress gender stereotyped situations, which may add up in the long run to gender segregation in career choices. „Our goal is to contribute to the change in the expectations that boys and girls have of their future professions, as schools do represent the best place to help steer future careers in line with individual talents, not just cultural and social expectations. “
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion. The panel consisted of: Lana Golob, Program Coordinator for Education, Culture, Sport, and Youth with the City of Rijeka; Professor Rajka Jurdana-Šepić, Dean of the Faculty of Physics, University of Rijeka; Professor Sven Maričić, Pula Polytechnic and School of Medicine, University of Rijeka; Martina Pejić, Director of Operational Support at Končar, Lovorka Lučić, Director of Human Resources for the Refineries, Marketing, and Functions at INA, and Dijana Kobas Dešković, President of MODE 1.
The panel noted that local and regional administration as founders of schools represent important actors in social change in this area. The City of Rijeka representative, Lana Golob, conveyed that they are committed to this role: „In addition to the fact that we were the first to introduce the Civics Education in elementary schools, we also have a program for free period products for girls, we finance extended school programs, and other measures in aid of a better quality of education, and of communities“.
The importance of role models was highlighted.
„With children, it is more important to show them by example, than it is to tell them“, said Professor Rajka Jurdana-Šepić, whose personal example counters the stereotype that only men are interested in physics. „My Ph.D. was in Atomic Physics, and my mentor had been a woman, too. Among our faculty, 60% are women, and 60% of our students are women as well. Only in our doctoral program we have the 50-50 distribution. We are clearly doing something well, and we would really like to spread this message to younger generations.“
Professor Sven Maričić pointed out that knowledge-based society is the one in which stereotypes are being pushed aside. His own experience has been colored by women in science – the first Nobel Prize Laureate he met was a woman, Elisabeth H. Blackburn, and he is currently mentoring two graduate students. He proposed that STEM should be made more accessible and engaging in proposing the solutions to societal problems, and be more fun.
From the perspective of the business sector, and particularly the industries that had historically failed to attract women, the panel conveyed the message that technological developments, and social advancements have brought about significant change. Martina Pejić, representative of Končar, testified that Končar is today an excellent working environment for young female engineers, because they have the opportunity to work in teams with experienced engineers who possess special and rare technological skills. Additionally, „Končar’s strong point is that young women get the opportunity to collaborate on very complex projects that help them be acquainted with the most advanced technologies while working in teams with experienced colleagues. This gives them an excellent opportunity for personal and professional development.“
INA represents another excellent example of a company that is reaping the rewards of diversity, including increased number of women in positions that had until recently not been considered typically female ones. Now, there are more women working at gas stations, but also in numerous engineering positions. „While before people commonly believed that refineries were no place for women, they have proven themselves to be excellent managers and engineers. We need capable professionals regardless of their gender. We always, support projects such as this one, we have MAMFORCE and DADFORCE certificates, and support all our employees regardless of their gender and other elements of diversity. We would like to invite all the young people to consider working for us, if they have an affinity towards these jobs. We are looking forward to it,“ said Lovorka Lučić, who represented INA in the panel.