Regional meetings of the “More Women in STEM” Scholarship brought together close to 100 women in Antofagasta, Santiago and Concepción.
During August, month of Technical-Professional Education, the Luksic Foundation organized workshops in three cities that combined workshops, networking and professional tools for students in technical careers associated with science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Luksic Foundation completed three regional meetings of the “Luksic Scholarship: More Women in STEM” program, bringing together close to 100 students in the regions of Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitan, O’Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía during August, celebrating the month of Technical Professional Education.
The participants, from Inacap, DUOC UC, AIEP and Santo Tomás, are studying careers in mining, programming, construction and networks. In each of these cities, the young women had the opportunity to reflect on their professional challenges and opportunities, sharing experiences in the STEM world.
With workshops led by Jimena Zapata de Genias, the scholarship recipients learned about tools aimed at strengthening their labor market insertion, from technical skills to professional projection strategies. These spaces were conceived not only as training, but also as platforms for empowerment, collaboration and mutual motivation.
“It is critical that women are present in all spaces, especially in areas such as STEM, where we have historically had less participation. Our presence drives diversity, innovation and better results. These meetings were a unique experience: they allowed them to connect, acquire tools to face the working world, get to know themselves and strengthen their security and confidence, to empower themselves and project their full potential,” said Zapata.
The gender gap in STEM areas still persists: currently, only 20.8% of enrollments in these careers correspond to women. Faced with this reality, the Luksic Scholarship was created with the purpose of closing this gap, offering support in the academic process of women studying technical careers at a higher level, through an economic contribution that facilitates their continuity of studies, allowing them a timely graduation. Between 2024 and 2025, more than 200 women have already benefited throughout the country.
“The areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics mark the path towards innovation and the future of employment, but the female gap is still deep. Therefore, at the Luksic Foundation we reaffirm our commitment to open more paths for them, improving their careers and contributing to the country’s development,” said Fernanda Orellana, the Foundation’s Director of Education.
Karin Molina, a Mining Technician student from the O’Higgins Region, was one of the participants of the meeting and emphasizes that for her her career has always been a dream and she is seeking to achieve professional development in this area: “It represents a great challenge and pride to be part of a group of women who are training so that little by little we are breaking stereotypes and inserting ourselves in this masculinized world”.
