Technology and agriculture: inspiring girls and young women on International Women’s Day

San Jose, 8 March 2022 (IICA) – The girls and young women were immersed in a new world of innovation, developing their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in a workshop organized by leading innovation and technology company, National Instruments (NI), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

The students from rural and urban schools visited IICA Headquarters in San Jose, where they participated in group dynamics sessions and talks about how science and technological innovation can provide real solutions to problems in their communities. The sessions also highlighted the valuable contribution of women to agricultural and scientific activities.

Emmanuel Picado, Manager of IICA’s Information Technology, Communication and Digital Agriculture Division, remarked that, “We are celebrating International Women’s Day along with twenty girls and young women, who are learning about digital skills. We wanted them to come to the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture (CIMAG) to experiment with tools such as Lego Robotics and Arduino—an open source coding system—so that they can then contribute to the development of solutions for their community”.

He acknowledged that, “We are aware of the enormous technological divide and we want to reduce it through training that will equip them with the tools to allow them to innovate. We believe that this type of activity will inspire and empower young women from rural areas to develop their skills in engineering, science and digital agriculture”.

“National Instruments would like to assist the participating young women to develop a sense of independence and a love of science, encouraging them to become involved in an activity that excites them, while recognizing the important role of women in STEM”, said Jessica Díaz, a professional in the company’s Engineering Education division.

Díaz said that, “Working on these projects with IICA and other partners is very rewarding experience, because we see this passion in the girls that they may not have had the chance to develop at home. On completing the activities, we see that they are motivated to go out, study and to become involved in the STEM fields.  All of us could become engineers, scientists or any other profession. It is a matter of believing in ourselves and breaking down the barriers”.

The initiative involved interactive sessions and talks that enabled the participants to experiment and learn how science and technological innovation can offer real solutions to problems in their environment.

For Gabriela Rodríguez, a teacher at the Escuela Amadita, in Coronado, “It is very important to expose these girls to different experiences—particularly as we are just coming out of a pandemic that forced them to remain inside—and to allow them to interact with other children. It is a valuable effort on the part of an institution like IICA, by opening its doors to children from all walks of life to share and learn on International Women’s Day”.

Another teacher, Gabriela Vega, from Colegio Público Experimental Bilingüe de la Trinidad de Moravia, remarked that, “These types of workshops are helpful because often we are unaware of the possibilities outside our schools and these experiences expose the students to the many professional opportunities in the market. It opens their eyes, assisting them to choose what to study, depending on their skills”.

The workshop is a joint IICA-NI effort and part of the organizations’ “IICA of Open Doors” and “Changing the Faces of Engineering” initiatives, aimed at developing STEM skills for boys, girls and youth.

“Some of these girls come from schools and high schools where they may not have had access to these tools. This initiative is aiming to empower them on International Women’s Day. It is a very important workshop for IICA’s open doors initiative, because we are utilizing the knowledge of IICA’s experts and partners like NT to unite inclusive education and agriculture”, said Amanda Fernández, President of IICA’s Community Outreach Association.

As part of the methodology of the workshop, the girls and young women visited other IICA of Open Doors projects, such as the Bosque de las Américas, a forest showcasing trees representative of the entire hemisphere; the Typical Rural House, which evokes traditional agriculture and the rural customs of the Americas; the AgroArt Virtual Museum; and the Fab Lab, an agricultural innovation lab, operated in partnership with the Costa Rican Ministry of Science, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT).

More information:

Institutional Communication Division

comunicacion.institucional@iica.int