RE-WIRING and Endesa PowerHER Discuss Transforming Institutions and Advancing Gender Equality in STEM

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On November 19, Lorena Fernández Álvarez, part of the University of Deusto RE-WIRING team, presented the project to Endesa’s PowerHER community. The session covered key topics such as leadership, women in STEM, and the “leaky pipeline,” a concept that illustrates how female talent is lost at various stages of STEM education and careers.

The aim of the Endesa PowerHer community is to promote networking among the company’s women as a lever for personal and professional development. To this end, various activities are carried out throughout the year. These activities focus mainly on four areas: networking with a purpose, leadership, inclusive language, and professional mobility.

A key point of the session was the need to “rewire” institutions instead of expecting women to adapt to existing leadership models. Participants discussed how traditional frameworks often overlook diverse perspectives and perpetuate inequality. Transforming these structures is essential to creating environments where women and other underrepresented groups can thrive without compromising their identities or values.

Fernández also introduced Nobel Run, a board game she co-developed with Pablo Garaizar and Iñigo Maestro as part of the European Gearing Roles project. The game challenges players to reflect on gender stereotypes and inequality in science, encouraging a shift in perspectives through gameplay.

The discussion extended to the biases present in AI algorithms, highlighting how these systems can unintentionally exclude certain groups due to prejudices embedded in their design and training data. Lorena stressed the importance of addressing these issues and fostering awareness to drive meaningful change.

The session served as an opportunity to explore practical ways to tackle inequality in STEM and technology, combining research, education, and critical analysis to create more inclusive spaces for all.

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