On 11 February, the world is celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Let’s give a voice to our Chief Marketing, a speaker of Stem is Fem educational project launched by Gamingtec in Ukraine.
- According to the United Nations, today only 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women. Do you consider that women are excluded from participating fully in science?
I studied at Applied Mathematics faculty at the National Technical University* of Ukraine and there were not so many girls in our academic group. This ratio is typical for STEM education. Unfortunately, in Ukraine this field is dominated by a great deal of skepticism.
- What was your professional path? How did you decide to study marketing?
I got excited about marketing while being a student. Besides studying programming in the university, I was exploring brand promotion in Ukrainian and worldwide markets. I started to work in a fast-moving consumer goods company and understood that the best way to boost my career was to find work at the boundary between IT technologies and marketing. One and a half years ago, I joined Gamingtec and decided to build a career here.
- What attracts you to the IT area?
I appreciate attending conferences and exhibitions. A week ago, we attended ICE London, the biggest event in the gaming industry. It is a great opportunity to meet new people and to feel a part of a fast-growing business. Innovations make the world go round. People working in this area have no chance to stop, they should stay moving forward, be flexible, and be ready for various challenges.
- Let’s talk about Stem is Fem project launched by Gamingtec. Is it useful for Ukrainian girls? Tell us about your experience of being a speaker there.
To my mind, Stem is Fem is a project that really motivates school girls to study technical sciences. The participation is free. The girls that pass online testing, come to Kyiv and visit lectures and excursions. They attend motivational seminars, face a number of practical challenges, collaborate together, and get acquainted with women that have already achieved high results in the technical area.
I am pretty sure that in several years we will have a community of Stem is Fem girls that help each other, run start-ups together. We will help raise a generation of girls that are not afraid of working in a traditional “male” area, that will ruin stereotypes and defeat discrimination. These girls will be able to change the face of Ukraine.
When I was talking to the participant of Stem is Fem module, they impressed me with their commitment, education, and motivation to go against the tide. I told them those words that I would like someone to tell me when I was a teenager: do not betray your dreams and take all the opportunities you have in life!
*The National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”
