Diana Bracco: "Encourage and support young women in STEM careers"
To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, ASPEN Institute Italia and the Bracco Foundation organized the conference "Mind the STEM Gap" at Expo 2020 Dubai.
The focus of the meeting was the promotion of women’s empowerment all over the world, with an emphasis on the importance of the education of girls and young women in STEM subjects. To that end, Gaela Bernini presented the Fondazione Bracco Manifesto "Mind the STEM Gap", which aims to overcome the gender disparity in STEM disciplines, raise awareness about the contribution women can give to science, remove stereotypes and prejudices and support the community of educators both at home and at school.
"The education of the youth is an essential lever for women’s empowerment in every country," affirmed Diana Bracco, President of the Bracco Foundation and B20 Women Empowerment Ambassador, in her opening message. She added, "I commend the planners of Expo Dubai, who have dedicated a specific pavilion to women. They have continued the historic decision taken by the BIE Assembly in November, 2015, on the initiative of Emma Bonino and myself, when I was then-President of Expo 2015 S.p.A. and Commissioner General for the Italian Pavilion, to place a special focus on women at every World Expo. This was not a foregone conclusion for an Arab country, and the extraordinary result does credit to Expo Dubai."
During the conference, many prominent institutional figures spoke: from Patrizio Bianchi, Italian Minister of Education, to Cristina Messa, Italian Minister of University and Research, from Elena Bonetti, Italian Minister for Family and Equal Opportunities, to Maria Chiara Carrozza, President of CNR, from Rana Dajani, President of the Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab world, Eleonora Dondossola, Facullty MD Anderson Cancer Center a Houston, Texas; Ersilia Vaudo, Chief Diversity Officer, ESA; along with Elena Zambon and Marta Dassù from Aspen Institute Italia.
