EU Delegation Deputy Ambassador to Korea Roland Honekamp speaks during an International Women’s Day event in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of EU Delegation Office in Seoul

The European Union Delegation in Seoul, together with Sookmyung Women’s University and the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET), hosted an International Women’s Day event Friday highlighting the role of women in science and technology.

Held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the event brought together students, professionals and academics to discuss ways to strengthen women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and to celebrate the achievements of women leaders in those sectors.

Women remain underrepresented in STEM globally. In Europe, women account for about one in three STEM graduates and roughly one in five information and communications technology specialists. In Korea, women make up only about 23.9 percent of STEM doctoral graduates, one of the lowest shares among OECD countries.

Organizers said narrowing the gender gap in advanced scientific training is essential not only for equality but also for sustaining innovation and economic growth.

The program began with a session titled “Stories from the Frontlines,” where four women from academia, industry and research shared their career experiences. Speakers described the challenges they faced in male-dominated fields as well as the opportunities that helped them succeed.

This was followed by a panel discussion, which focused on barriers that limit women’s participation in STEM and policy measures that could help improve representation.

“Promoting women’s participation in STEM is a matter of fairness and justice, but it is also about unlocking Europe’s and Korea’s full innovative potential,” said Ugo Astuto, the EU ambassador to Korea. “When women and men contribute equally to science and technology, research becomes stronger, solutions more inclusive, and societies more resilient.”

Astuto said the EU supports gender equality in research through programs such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus Plus, which fund collaborative research and academic exchanges.

Meanwhile, Sookmyung Women’s University President Moon Si-yeun said women scientists should play a leading role in shaping future innovation.

Source: Korea Times News