Women in STEM in Serbia
Although Serbia has a relatively high proportion of women in STEM, women are still facing significant headwinds in their careers. We are working to understand and resolve these issues through in-depth and innovative research.
Why Women in STEM?
Promoting women’s participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields is essential for UNDP Serbia, not only for gender equality but also for the development of a knowledge-based economy. Despite the relatively high percentage of women in STEM in Serbia, the leaky pipeline phenomenon, where women drop out of their careers, hinders progress. To address this, UNDP Serbia adopted new, user-centric, approaches, to better understand the human perspective behind this topic. We also used alternative data sources such as LinkedIn. By taking action to overcome the leaky pipeline phenomenon, we want to promote gender equality, foster a more inclusive and diverse society, and contribute to building a stronger, more competitive and future-proof economy.
Women in STEM: Designing an enabling environment for women in tech workshop
Our Actions
Besides quantitative research, there is a need to look deeper into the potential reasons why the gender gap exists and persists, in order to better understand its various facets.
At the UNDP Accelerator Lab, we believe that promoting gender equality in the knowledge-based economy requires a comprehensive strategy that involves understanding the human perspective, conducting in-depth research, and utilizing innovative data sources. Based on these, we have taken concrete actions to address challenges facing women in STEM in Serbia.
Women-centric Stories
In order to understand key issues, we gathered first-person testimonies from women in STEM.
As a cross-office effort between different teams within UNDP Serbia, we held a workshop “Women in STEM: Designing an enabling environment for women in Tech” where we gathered a group of women within STEM professions and through our talk, we mapped their stories while navigating through their careers. These stories not only provide inspiration and guidance for young women professionals in STEM but also help us better understand the challenges women face in this field.
Curious about the real experiences of women in Serbia’s tech industry? Our blog post explores their journeys, highlighting challenges and triumphs, and offering valuable insights for both aspiring and established female professionals. Read more and get inspired!
By addressing this topic, we acknowledge that a further comprehensive understanding of women’s perspectives is essential for addressing the issue of promoting STEM careers for women. We created four user journey maps of women in STEM in Serbia, which allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the distinct experiences and obstacles faced by women at various stages of their careers.
User Journey Map for women in IT who stepped out of a technical role
User Journey Map for women who entered IT from natural sciences through retraining
User Journey map for women in IT who have technical education and work in technical roles
User Journey map for women in IT who retrained from Social Science and Humanities backgrounds
We synthesized the insights from our research activities into an informative infographic that highlights the most significant findings from our desk research. Through our user-centric approach and research activities, we aim to shed light onto the complex questions surrounding women in STEM and develop interventions which address the specific needs of women in Serbia.
Women in Serbia’s ICT sector
Women’s underrepresentation in the information and communication technologies sector has detrimental effects on individuals and society. Women’s low representation directly leads to technological bias (technologies that are less suited to women’s needs), missed opportunities for innovation, as well as missed talent and potential of a considerable part of the population.
In a broader social context, this perpetuates inequalities, widens the digital divide and reduces the number of role models for future generations. Therefore, addressing this issue is crucial for building a more inclusive and prosperous society.
UNDP and Accelerator Lab have undertaken research aimed at better understanding this problem, from the barriers women face in education, to considerations of the cultural factors of their lower participation in careers in the ICT sector.
Research and Updates
Her Journey, Her Story: Women Shaping Tech
Green transitions and climate action: when women are leading the way
Unveiling insights: Exploring the narratives of women in the Serbian ICT Industry
How to achieve greater gender equality in the Serbian ICT sector
Gender brief for Serbia mentions Women in STEM initiative
Reproducing inequality: How AI image generators show biases against women in STEM
Join Us in Promoting Gender Equality!
We synthesized the insights from our research activities into an informative infographic that highlights the most significant findings from our desk research. Through our user-centric approach and research activities, we aim to shed light onto the complex questions surrounding women in STEM and develop interventions which address the specific needs of women in Serbia.
