- As part of its Diversity and Inclusion policy and the promotion of gender equality, Endesa is developing and promoting a series of initiatives to awaken interest in STEM subjects, science and technology amongst young people.
- In the spring of 2023, the company will launch the third edition of the "Ella te cuenta" programme and resume the "Dismantling stereotypes" initiative, which was stopped due to the pandemic.
- The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which will be observed on 11 February, seeks to break down the many obstacles that prevent the full participation of women in the scientific and technological field, sectors that are having an increasing impact on the social, labour and economic future.
As part of the actions in the Diversity and Inclusion Plan, Endesa would like to reach more girls this year through its programmes to promote STEM vocations (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Specifically, in March and April, the company will launch the third edition of "Ella te cuenta" and will resume the project "Dismantling stereotypes" project, which was suspended due to the pandemic, and with which it is looking to inspire more than 1,700 girls to be interested in scientific subjects and technology.
Identifying and eliminating the inequalities that are still present in the field of science and technology is the objective of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated tomorrow, 11 February. In fact, Endesa expects 60% of new recruits to be people trained in STEM disciplines and the aim is for at least 50% to be women.
Since 2017, Endesa has been developing and promoting a series of initiatives to arouse interest in STEM science and technology subjects amongst young and teenage girls. After the success of past editions, for the third consecutive year Endesa is launching the "Ella, Te cuenta" programme, in collaboration with the FUE (University-Business Foundation), which aims to awaken STEM vocations in ESO students. Through webinars aimed at secondary school students, professional women from Endesa with technical profiles will share their own experiences and their vision of science and technology.
Like Sandra Frías, a 23-year-old engineer who was an intern at Endesa and is currently working in the operation and maintenance of solar plants within the company and participated in last year's edition of "Ella te cuenta" to share her experience on what led her to study a STEM career: "In my talks with the secondary-school students I wanted to encourage them and convince them that it is possible. From my experience, people who strive and are enthusiastic usually succeed. You do not need to be the smartest in the class, what is important is to put in the effort. And the final experience is going to be rewarding."
The unequal participation of students in STEM careers is a result of gender stereotypes, which associate certain characteristics such as character, preferences, appearance, academic background, etc., with a person's gender. In this context, we need to work on questioning these stereotypes from an inclusive perspective, in order to take advantage of the full potential that young people have, regardless of their gender. This is why Endesa is resuming the "Dismantling stereotypes" project, which due to its face-to-face characteristics was suspended during the pandemic. In this programme, co-education workshops are organised with primary school children, parents and teachers, in collaboration with psychologists specialising in gender stereotypes, with the aim of promoting technological vocations and breaking down these stereotypes. With this initiative, the company is aiming to break down stereotypes from an early age.
About Endesa
Endesa is the largest electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.