Three pioneers for MINT: Zonta-Anti-Award honors young women!

Three pioneers for MINT: Zonta-Anti-Award honors young women!

Sahar Danaei Nejad already has remarkable achievements: after her escape from Iran in 2018, she learned German within a year and has been a volunteer as an interpreter. The young women, who are all on the way to a master's degree or in the doctorate, show impressively how important equal opportunities are in the MINT subjects. Madelaine Bareiß, who is interested in applied physics and in particular laser technology, is actively at Girlsday and is committed to promoting young talent.

challenges in MINT professions

The awards are a step in the right direction, because women are often underrepresented in technology fields. According to the mint-facts , only 25 percent of women are ready to start an engineering course, while this number is even lower in computer science. However, the shortage of skilled workers in business and science makes it urgently needed to increase the proportion of women in these areas.

At the Justus Liebig University Gießen, Sarah Pappert is researching technologies for space applications and has already received a doctoral center at the Max Planck Institute. These recognition show how important it is to make women visible in the MINT professions and celebrate their achievements. Professor Dr. Matthias Willems, President of the Technical University of Middle Hesse, emphasizes in this context the need to promote women in MINT subjects.

a step into the future

The Zonta International, which is responsible for the introduction of the 'Zonta Women in Stem Award' in 2024, has set itself the goal of offering young women solid support in the MINT area. Especially in a world that is very digitized, it is important to create equal opportunities for men and women in technical professions. The scholarship 'Women in Technology', which was launched in 2019, has been experiencing an extended support since 2022 under the new name 'Women in Stem Scholarship'.

The awarding of the Zonta-Stind Award to Sahar Danaei Nejad, Madelaine Bareiß and Sarah Pappert is not only an award for their individual commitment, but also a sign of the necessary change towards more equality in the MINT subjects. It is to be hoped that these women act as role models and encourage other girls to find their way into science and technology. A rethink in society is necessary to reduce clichés and increase the visibility of women in these important professions. This is the only way to improve the quality and user -friendliness of products.