The Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT), in Aveiro branch, received last January 14, Rosa Monteiro, Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality, Joana Portugal, from her office, and Luísa Ribeiro Lopes from InCode.2030. In the event, were also present the representative of the UA Rectory, Dean Paulo Ferreira and Deputy Dean Alexandra Queirós, the Director of IT José Carlos Pedro, and the representative of the DETI and IT researcher Armando Pinho. 

The mission of the visit was to get to know, as Secretary of State said, “the research and development projects of women researchers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) areas of the University of Aveiro and Instituto de Telecomunicações.”

The work and example of these women researchers, invited by Susana Sargento and Luísa Ribeiro Lopes, aims to inspire women and girls in science, anticipating the international day announced for the 11th of February.

The Aveiro Steam City (Susana Sargento), road safety and sustainable mobility (Margarida Coelho), environmental monitoring and forest fire prevention (Ana Miranda), photonic sensors for smart cities and for health (Rute André), additive manufacturing of flexible electronics for the automotive industry (Paula Vilarinho) and industrial waste for the production of magnetic activated carbon (Vânia Calisto) were some of those recognized in this scope. The Plans for Equality in progress in the two institutions were also presented.

Rosa Monteiro flattered the work carried out by the institutions.

In her words, these projects demonstrate the huge step that is being taken to level “structural inequalities”, based on gender. Although the low representation of women and girls in these areas is still a “normalized” phenomenon, these examples should “inspire” a growing role for women in the various spheres of society.