Global Engineer Girls, in collaboration with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and the Ministry of Investment launched an international philanthropic initiative aimed at boosting the representation of women in STEM / Arab News
Riyadh: The Global Engineer Girls (GEG), in collaboration with Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University and the Ministry of Investment, has extended its philanthropic initiative to enhance the representation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields to Saudi Arabia.
The launch event held in Riyadh highlighted the significance of mentorship, access to opportunities and the need to challenge gender stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated industries. A memorandum of understanding was officially signed to mark the expansion of the project into Saudi Arabia.
A cohort of 12 ambitious Saudi female student engineers shared their dreams and aspirations as they become the first participants in this joint program, signalling a promising step towards gender inclusivity in STEM careers.
Ebru Ozdemir, chairwoman at Limak Group of Companies and GEG founder, shared insights into the initiative's global journey. Having started in Turkey nine years ago, GEG expanded to Kuwait, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and now Saudi Arabia.
““The same problem exists everywhere, all over the world, in different scales, that the women in STEM are not really many. And actually they are very good at engineering. We have great examples. The only thing that they need is a little bit of promotion” added Ozedmir.
Ambassador Volkan Bozkır, chair of the GEG advisory board, commended Saudi Arabia for its visionary approach to societal reform through Vision 2030.
He said: “I think Saudi Arabia is now one of the stars in the world; there’s a big attraction for Saudi Arabia for its visionary new projects, and also how Saudi Arabia is approaching to the role of women in economy in every day’s life.”
Key speaker Shudufhadzo Musida emphasized the transformative power of mentorship and access to opportunities in her personal journey. She mentioned the need to reframe sustainable development to include women's empowerment and their active participation in economic decision-making processes.
The launch of the Global Engineer Girls initiative in Saudi Arabia marks a significant step towards gender inclusivity in STEM fields.