Despite growing awareness and efforts across Europe, gender gaps in STEM education and careers persist. These inequalities start early, shaped by stereotypes and reinforced by structural barriers that limit girls’ and women’s opportunities throughout their educational and professional journeys. The STREAM IT project addresses both visible participation gaps and deeper systemic issues.
The overall objectives of STREAM IT are to:
1. Identify and address gender-based institutional and structural barriers in STEM education and research careers, with a particular focus on the critical transition into tertiary education.
2. Develop and pilot innovative, gender- and diversity-inclusive STE(A)M toolkits that can be adopted by educators and institutions across Europe.
3. Support skill development and career exploration among young people through hands-on activities, mentoring programmes, and exposure to inspiring role models.
4. Upskill STEM educators to apply gender-responsive and inclusive pedagogical approaches.
5. Support Higher Education Institutions and other STEM education providers in implementing institutional changes that foster equality and inclusion.
6. Establish sustainable, multi-actor networks at regional, national, and European levels, encouraging ongoing collaboration and mutual learning.
7. Contribute to EU-level policy development by generating evidence-based recommendations and supporting the implementation of the European Manifesto for gender-inclusive STE(A)M education and careers.
8. Raise public awareness about the impact of gender stereotypes and institutional barriers, and promote the benefits of inclusive STEM education for society as a whole.
Expected impacts:
- Synergies between R&I and higher education: synthesising existing knowledge, networking with similar initiatives, and contributing to relevant policy and strategies on the EU-level
- Modernised higher education sector: institutional change towards inclusiveness, stronger links with innovation ecosystems, and increased participation of women in R&I.
- Interconnected knowledge ecosystems: knowledge circulation on gender equality in STEM, wider adoption of inclusive practices, and strengthened policy dialogue at EU and national levels.
The project integrates social sciences and humanities to analyse socio-cultural norms, inform methodology, and evaluate impacts on behaviours, perceptions, and institutional practices. In the long term, STREAM IT aims to establish more inclusive and interconnected education and innovation ecosystems across Europe.
