30/08/2021

IMPA's Girls in the Olympics Program will have a second edition.

Despite advances in gender equality, the number of women working in science and technology professions remains small. The 2018 report "UNESCO – Cracking the Code: Girls' and Women's Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics" indicates that only 28% of researchers worldwide are female. To try to change this scenario, IMPA will hold the IMPA Girls' Olympics program for the second time.

The project aims to encourage greater participation of girls in mathematics olympiads and in STEM fields in general, with the goal of increasing female representation in areas such as mathematics, computer science, and engineering. The activities are directed at female students in basic education from five schools in different regions of Rio de Janeiro.

“The IMPA Girls' Olympics is one of the most stimulating projects we carry out in the context of basic education, combining the encouragement of discovery and the broadening of horizons and opportunities, both for students and undergraduates. The first edition, coordinated by Professor Letícia Rangel, was a complete success and an enriching experience for all participants, and for ourselves. I am sure that this new edition will be equally successful,” declared Marcelo Viana, Director-General of IMPA.

The program was one of those selected to receive funding from Faperj (Rio de Janeiro State Research Support Foundation) through the call for proposals "Girls and Women in Exact and Earth Sciences, Engineering and Computing".

Currently, about half of the students who pass the first phase of the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools), held by IMPA, are female. However, among those awarded gold medals, the number of girls reaches 30% in elementary school and 13% in high school.

“Gender stereotypes and representation have a significant impact on girls' confidence and interest in these fields. It's not a matter of ability, but of self-selection. The problem goes beyond choice. It is also observed in advancement and retention. Women who pursue careers in STEM fields generally face segregation obstacles along the way. Education, in my opinion, is the best way to address this imbalance,” says the program coordinator, Leticia Rangel.

How it works

In each of the five participating schools, the project will be developed under the responsibility of a teacher from the unit and with the supervision of a mathematics undergraduate student from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Unirio), or the Federal Fluminense University (UFF). Among the planned activities are laboratories, discussion groups, panels, Olympiad challenges, and workshops in mathematics, computing, and robotics, as well as debates on gender stereotypes. The students will also participate in lectures with professionals in the field and visits to renowned teaching and research institutions.

Leticia, a retired teacher from the UFRJ Application School, believes that the results of programs like this are felt in the long term. After participating in the project in 2019, two students are already in university studying mathematics and mechanical engineering. “The participation of these young women in the Olympiads is a way to spark interest, but the project goes far beyond that. We intend for the 'Olympic Girls' project to encourage students to pursue and believe in their dreams and their potential,” she argues.