It's about time to reduce the gender gap in STEM professions: an internationally assessed educational project

Purpose The digital transformation of the labour market has increased demand for specialized technical skills, yet women remain underrepresented in STEM fields. This gender imbalance risks perpetuating social and economic inequality. To address this challenge, we developed and evaluated an educational project aimed at fostering STEM vocations among young people by providing female role models and promoting gender equality from an early age. Design/methodology/approach We propose an educational project to be implemented in primary and secondary schools, using a detailed guideline for its development. Mixed-gender teams should create websites featuring profiles of women professionals in STEM, including interviews and multimedia content. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the program was evaluated through a cross-sectional study involving 349 student and teacher responses collected via structured questionnaires in two editions (i.e., annual iterations of the project). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, and thematic coding of open-ended responses. Findings Participants reported increased awareness of STEM careers, improved perception of women's roles in STEM, and enhanced technical, communication and teamwork skills. Girls especially expressed higher motivation to pursue STEM studies after the project. Social implications By offering exposure to role models and collaborative STEM experiences, the project contributes to dismantling gender stereotypes and promoting a more inclusive, equitable future in science and technology. Originality/value This is the first international STEM educational project targeting a mixed-gender, wide age range 4–18, with a focus on both hard and soft skills and rooted in project-based learning and social cognitive theory.