While evidence shows that there are only few reliable differences between boys’ and girls’ brains relevant to learning or education , society takes these small differences and makes them much bigger, supporting boys’ ability in math and science, and discouraging girls who study these subjects. In view of this situation, the EU Parliament encourages all State Members to invest consistently in information, awareness-raising and educational campaigns addressing stereotyped perceptions of gender roles, as well as gender stereotypes in vocational and professional orientation, notably in science and new technologies. UNESCO, in its turn, highlight the urgent need to combat those stereotypes by training teachers to encourage girls to pursue STEM careers and developing curricula that are gender-sensitive. With this context in mind, FOSTWOM intend to use the inclusive potential of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to propose STEM subjects free of stereotyping assumptions on gender abilities. This document makes a benchmark on gender balance in STEM education and a diagnosis on STEM barriers implemented with secondary schools and higher education institutions, as a first step in the FOSTWOM project.

Funded by the Erasmus+ program. Grant number 2019-1-ES01-KA203-065924