MENTORING PROGRAM

IN TECHNICAL SCIENCES

FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

FEMALE STUDENTS

Kateřina CidlinskáNational Contact Centre for Women and ScienceThe Institute of SociologyAcademy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Goals of the program

• Motivate girls to study STEM at universities

• Increase the number of women in traditionally male dominated field and tackle horizontal segregation

• Break the gender stereotypical perception of STEM as masculine

Reasons for founding the program

• Women represent only 12.8 % of researchers in the technical sciences in CR– 4 % less than in 2001.

• Women represent 32.2 % students of technical disciplines at Czech universities– some specializations 5 %.

Why mentoring format?

• Main reason for low representation of women in the technical sciences = gender stereotypes → lower self-confidence of girls,more traditional professional ambitions

• Change of thinking needs an individual long-term approach

We bet on basic mentoring functions:

1. Influence of role models 2. Psychological support 3. Help with the choice of study and

professional path

And feminist characteristics:

4. Transformative function (beside the instumental and developmental)

5. Non-hierarchical relationship, reciprocity

Motivation for participation

Mentees

• Help with the choice of university and discipline

• Information about higher education in general

Mentors

• Motivate girls to study gender non-traditional disciplines

• Popularization and promotion of their specialization and school

• Help to make an informed choice of a university and program

• Meeting new people (widening own social network)

Effectivity of the programMentees

• Making decisions about future study

• Familiarization with the university environment

• Obtaining relevant contacts to the start at university (mentor/s, her school mates, teachers)

increasing mentees’ self-confidence

Mentors

• Meeting new interesting people, making new friends

• Developing a new perspective

• Improving communication, popularization and organizational skills

• Relaxation

• Finding new enthusiasm for their field of study

• Increasing self-confidence

Effectivity of the program

Effectivity of the program

Effectivity of the program

Meeting the program goals

• The program supports and motivates girls to study the technical sciences

• The program contributes to breaking the stereotypical perception of the technical sciences as masculine

• Program proved to be an effective tool for dismantling horizontal gender segregation in Czech higher education and science.

• In the long run, the program could contribute to eliminating vertical segregation– mentors motivate mentees to

develop their professional ambitions.

Participants since 2009

135 mentees

67 mentors (37 specializations)

7 Czech universities in three citiesPrague, Brno, Olomouc:

Czech Technical University in PragueInstitute of Chemical Technology PragueCharles UniversityCzech University of Life Sciences PragueBrno University of TechnologyMasaryk UniversityPalacky University in Olomouc

Thank you for your attention!

Kateřina CidlinskáNational Contact Center for Women and Science

katerina.cidlinska@soc.cas.cz

http://www.zenyaveda.cz