On Saturday, October 11, I participated in Femminili plurali: formazione, imprenditoria e ricerca al femminile (Feminine Plurals: Training, Entrepreneurship, and Research by Women), part of the Internet Festival 2025 in Pisa, to discuss the presence of women in the scientific and technological sectors and the key role of training, careers, and supporting infrastructure.
I was joined by speakers Valentina Domenici (University of Pisa), Grazia Ambrosino (Aforisma Impresa Sociale), Lucia Arcarisi (Weabios and CNA Pisa), and Elisabetta Barzelloni (Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale), and moderator Andrea Bolioli, whom I thank for their contributions and the rich discussion.
In my speech, I emphasized how low the percentage of female students in ICT disciplines remains, even lower than in STEM subjects overall, and how much of a burden the Matilda effect still has the tendency to underrecognize or undervalue women’s scientific contributions.
However, I believe that artificial intelligence can represent a turning point: its interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature can revitalize female participation, opening up new spaces for collaboration and innovation.
This is also the heart of the STEM UP project, supported by the Digital Republic Fund: new ways of teaching and experiencing science, helping girls and boys navigate the world of tomorrow.
