Breaking the gender bias by teaching digital competencies
Currently only a stark 23% of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) graduates are female. In response to this, a team of consultants at Deloitte Belgium, together with colleagues from across Europe, are on a mission to inspire the next generation of digital experts and entrepreneurs. To drive this effort, Deloitte Belgium and the European Commission launched a three-year project called ESTEAM—an initiative aimed at fostering Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.
“It’s a really rewarding project. I love getting to see first-hand the fast growth of our participants as they gain new skills and connect with their peers across borders. It’s great that these are practical skills that they can transfer to a host of situations from applying for a job to giving a presentation at school or work – or even pitching an idea.”
Zélie Thuillier, Consultant, Government and Public Sector, Deloitte Belgium
Empowering women of all ages
Since the project’s launch in January 2022, close to 2,000 women and girls have taken part in 11 in-person events – known as ESTEAM Fests – across six European countries.
Although every workshop focuses on digital and business-related skills, each one is tailored to its audience. Topics range from creating a CV, applying for a job and preparing for an interview, to designing websites.
“We always make sure that it’s practical”, explains Zélie Thuillier, Consultant, Government and Public Sector, at Deloitte Belgium.
“For younger participants, sessions are more gamified, while for more advanced participants we incorporate business cases that they have to pitch and present at the end of the day.” Alongside the Fests, online communities were created to foster cross border connections and activities. Altogether, more than 2,000 women and girls have actively participated in both online webinars and in person mentorship programmes.
The Deloitte team supports and coaches women and girls of all ages and sees them become more empowered as a result.
Changing perceptions
For Deloitte, this project, which is partially funded by the Belgian Deloitte Foundation, has facilitated the establishment of relationships with various organisations and government bodies across the European Union.
The project has been recognised through the Deloitte NSE Impact Awards, an internal recognition programme which celebrates the impact our people and teams make on clients, people and society.
In addition to benefiting the ESTEAM attendees, the project has created an ecosystem through collaboration with partners such as the European Women Association (EWA), an organisation promoting women in business, and Vlaamse Jonge Ondernemingen (VLAJO), a non-profit organisation dedicated to youth entrepreneurship. Furthermore, activities are provided for men and boys, to address and mitigate societal gender biases from an early age.
“The most inspiring aspect of this project is working directly with the participants and seeing them empowered through our activities, gaining confidence, learning about opportunities and upskilling their careers,” says Zélie.
“We hope it will create a snowball effect that will go well beyond the duration and scope of the project.”
The ESTEAM project runs until December 2025, with more events planned to inspire participants, boost competencies and give them the chance to connect across borders. “This is the first step in assuring that – for all taking part – there are no limitations to what they can do. We are giving them the tools to be able to dream big,” adds Zelie.
