Background

Engineering Universities are characterised by a low female presence, both as students and as teachers, mainly due to the common image of the engineer as a predominantly male figure.

Goal

Politecnico di Torino (POLITO), the oldest technical University in Italy, has developed a project to raise the average percentage of female students enrolled in the first year of engineering programmes and to achieve full gender equality in some degree programmes.

Measure

The project provides for the adoption of positive actions aimed at removing the obstacles that prevent the realisation of equal opportunities [1]. The following activities are foreseen:

• a competition of ideas - addressed to the student population – “Create a communication campaign for the PoliWo initiative”;
• actions aimed at operationally promoting the Engineering training offer among high school female students: these actions will be the subject of a proposal made by a specially appointed commission;
• part-time collaborations to carry out tutoring activities in order to sensitise them on characteristics of the student path and the profession of engineer.

Outcome

Some first feedbacks seem to say that the trend is starting to change thanks to information and mentoring campaigns. The historical peak of female enrolment in Engineering has been reached in the academic year 2019/20, with 1,307 newly registered female students, equal to 26% of the total and with a growth of over 5% over last year. [2]

Sources:

[1] News on the TInnGO Observatory site
http://transportgenderobservatory.eu/2020/04/28/bringing-women-closer-to-stem-studies-poliwo/

[2] Press article on the Politecnico di Torino site on the first results of the initiative

https://poliflash.polito.it/in_ateneo/she_hacks_polito_2020_che_cosa_pensano_le_studentesse_del_politecnico