Geração STEM Scholarship Programme, a .PT Initiative, Will Support Young Women to Promote Gender Equality in the Digital Sector

More female talent, more diversity, a stronger future in technology. It is with this ambition that .PT today launches the "Geração STEM .PT" scholarship programme, designed to support and recognise girls and women who choose to build their academic path in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). With applications now open, .PT, supported by a group of partners including Huawei, NTT Data and REN, reinforces its commitment to promoting gender equality and to greater female participation in fields that continue to be marked by a significant under-representation of women.

According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), although more than half of the Portuguese population has basic digital skills, only 5.4% are Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialists and, of these, just 22% are women. The data show that, as the level of qualification required increases, women’s investment in technological training decreases, limiting the country’s innovation potential.

The programme is therefore aimed at female students (holding the nationality of any European country or a valid residence permit) enrolled in bachelor’s or master’s degree courses at higher education institutions in Portugal, in technology and engineering fields where the under-representation of women is recognised by official statistics.

Each scholarship will have a single value of €5,000, intended to support study-related expenses, and will be awarded directly to the student. To guarantee full transparency and independence, the selection will be made by a specialist jury made up of prominent figures from academia, the business sector and civil society, such as: Luisa Ribeiro Lopes, President of .PT; Rosa Monteiro, Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra and Executive Director of the Coimbra School of Management; Cláudia Mendes Silva, Country Director of Women in Tech Portugal; Carla Bernardo, Director of Planning Services at the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality; and Diogo Madeira da Silva, Director of Huawei Portugal.

"We cannot talk about digital sovereignty, cybersecurity or innovation if we leave half of our talent out. Bringing more women into technology is a genuine imperative for the competitiveness of our economy and our society. They cannot be merely users of technology; they truly have to be in the engine room, taking on the role of architects of our digital future," says Luisa Ribeiro Lopes, President of the Board of Directors of .PT. "With the Geração STEM scholarship programme, we want to create incentives for female talent to move into leadership, ensuring that the Portuguese digital ecosystem is genuinely inclusive and representative."

In this first edition, the programme already has the support of partner organisations including Huawei, NTT Data and REN, and applications run until 9 October. The full regulations and the application form are available on the official website at: https://bolsasgeracaostem.pt/

This first edition will culminate in a special ceremony, scheduled for the end of November, where the young winners will be announced and celebrated.