Spanish infrastructure major Acciona recently organised a round table session in Dubai to present the Homeward Bound project, a global initiative that aims to promote the leadership of women in climate science.
The event took place at the Spanish Pavilion of the Expo 2020 to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
A global pioneer in sustainable solutions for energy and infrastructure, Acciona is a strategic partner of Homeward Bound, as the two organizations have found common cause in a commitment to women’s contribution in our world today.
Founded in 2015, Homeward Bound promotes the leadership of women in STEM ((Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This project aims to build, in a decade, a network of 10,000 women working together across the Planet for a shared future.
Homeward Bound is a 12-month program with online content and collaborative learning, centered on four pillars: leadership, strategy, communication and science. This year marks the seventh edition of the program.
Before the pandemic, the program culminated in a three-week trip expedition to Antarctica, where the participating women observed firsthand the impact of human activity on the frozen continent.
By bringing female scientists together, Homeward Bound aims to create a network of women with the skills and will to create a more sustainable future. The goal of the program is to forge personal and professional bonds between the participants, enrich teamwork, and generate new initiatives to advance real solutions to some of most pressing global concerns.
The roundtable session in Dubai brought together Fabian Dattner, Homeward Bound Project Founder; Lourdes Vega, Director of the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH Center) in Khalifa University and Marta Fernández Fernández, Chief Experience Officer of JUMIA, an e-commerce group.
The event was attended by high school students from Sunmarke School of Dubai and from Khalifa University.
To date, Homeward Bound has brought together women from more than 56 nationalities and 46 scientists in a mentorship program that aims to hone their leadership, skills, visibility and global networking.
Getting more women involved in STEM careers is a key priority for Acciona, the Homeward Bound project, and many national governments.
According to Unesco, only 28% of the world’s researchers are women. In the Middle East, the participation of women in STEM subjects is higher than the global average, and in countries such as UAE and Saudi Arabia, 60% of science graduates are women.
However, social and cultural norms mean that few female science graduates go on to have careers in their subjects.
Acciona is a global leader in the provision of regenerative solutions for a decarbonized economy.
Its business offer includes renewable energy, water treatment and management, eco-efficient transportation and mobility systems and resilient infrastructures. The company has been carbon neutral since 2016.-TradeArabia News Service
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