EBU Technology & Innovation joined forces in a panel session with the BBC and the ITU to celebrate International Girls in ICT Day on 27 April 2023. Twelve-year-old girls from Salford (GB) were invited to join Joanne Wilson, Deputy to the ITU-R Director; Tanja Lichtensteiger, Head of Software Engineering at BBC; and Elena Puigrefagut, Senior Project Manager at EBU T&I. The panel was chaired by Laura Foster, BBC News Reporter.
The girls had the opportunity to interact directly with the three women and listen to their experiences as well as learn about their backgrounds. They were able to ask questions as to what had inspired them to pursue STEM studies and what they liked the most of their job.
During this moment of exchange, the girls learned how STEM is core in many different types of jobs: from aerospace engineers to civil engineers; astronomers and software developers; roboticists and computer scientists; materials scientists and food scientists, physicists, chemists, and so the list goes on. The girls were also made to think how STEM occupations push us to try to understand how the universe works and contribute to building the future and a better society. And all of this alongside people from very different countries and backgrounds who all share the rigor and strictness of scientific studies to collaborate on challenging problems, as well as allowing individuals to move from project to project. The job is never boring!
Background
The International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative created by the International Telecommunications Union in 2011. The aim is to encourage girls and young women to actively pursue studies and careers in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), and partner media organizations to put a particular emphasis on the convergence of media technology. This is the seventh year that EBU Technology & Innovation participates in this event.
Find out more about EBU’s actions to promote diversity, equity and inclusion inclusivity and equity on the DEI at the EBU web page.