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Three women who succeed in the scientific and technological field are today a source of pride for the universities that saw them grow. Not only in physical terms, but also academically. They were the ones who provided them with a knowledge base that they later expanded beyond our borders. Anna, Yolanda and Elisenda are three voices that vindicate with their examples the extremely important role of women in the scientific world, a field punished by statistics and traditionally always related to men.
In fact, although there are more women than men studying at Spanish universities, the percentage of them in technological careers is merely representative. For example, in the 2020-2021 academic year, women only represented 18% of computer science students.
Despite the data, the testimonies of these three Catalan women are key to understanding that science and technology do not understand sex, but only know about talent. A capacity that has placed them at the forefront of incredible projects with which they have succeeded all over the world. They have rubbed shoulders with large technology companies and have established their operations center in the very mecca of technology. One of them, Anna Navarro, was even chosen in 2021 as the most admired business woman in the world by the prestigious magazine CIO Look.
They vindicate the role of universities
We were able to meet Anna Navarro, Yolanda Lupiáñez and Elisenda Bou-Balust at the presentation of this section, La Uni, in a conversation that Susanna Quadrado, head of the Society area of ??’La Vanguardia’, had with them in the CosmoCaixa auditorium; although Anna did it by videoconference from Silicon Valley, for obvious reasons.
During the event, the three served as great ambassadors of their universities and praised their former centers. Ana, Yolanda and Elisenda exalted the role of their centers and influenced the profile they have developed in their lives. When Anna Navarro tried to explain to Susanna Quadrado how she had managed to be considered one of the most influential women in the world, she summarized it by saying that “with a lot of patience, a lot of mental strength and going through many universities”, without forgetting that she had to study a lot and tour several different technology companies.
Navarro recognizes that in Silicon Valley the presence of women in technology corporations depends greatly on business profiles, but that only between 25 and 30% of the workforce are women and that “of these, 90% are secretaries, administration and communication personnel”, so it has little to do with technology directly. For this former UB student, there is a very unfair fact that reveals that “96% of the people who are thinking about the next technology are only men.”
Yolanda Lupiáñez was able to develop her professional talent comfortably in the companies she worked for until one day she decided to become a mother. “When I returned, my colleagues did not treat me the same, as if my priorities had changed and, without even asking, they assumed that I would no longer travel as much or that I would no longer dedicate myself as much to the company.” That experience that she lived with her surroundings after becoming a mother, sentenced her role a little and she recognizes that she even “ended the infatuation that she had” for her work.
In this sense, Elisenda Bou-Balust sees the trajectory of women in the technological world as an obstacle course in which fewer and fewer of them remain. In her talks and conferences she comments that “as they evolve academically and professionally, there are fewer girls left.” Perhaps for this reason, the former UPC student claims that women must be clear not only about what they want to do, but also who they want to do it with.
“If we opt for a company that gives us the same opportunities and is committed to equality, everything will be much easier,” explains Bou-Balust. And this is precisely the type of company policy that Yolanda Lupiáñez now directs, which after her time and experience in certain corporations, now gives her employees the opportunity to be whoever they want to be and allocate the time they want to their work life. “If women, because they are mothers, want to work part-time, here is their company!”
Based on the reality that we observe with the statements of these women, we are aware that girls have much more difficulty than men in developing professionally in certain fields. And, in many cases, these difficulties begin too early. The former UPC student, Elisenda Bou-Balust, acknowledges that a relative of hers, whom she has a lot of esteem for, told her as soon as she found out that she wanted to study telecommunications, that “not to do it because it was very difficult and that I wouldn’t get it.” Elisenda defends herself by explaining that she has always been a woman of conviction and that those words only made her reflect, but that she understands that in people who are somewhat less convinced, those types of words can profoundly influence the choice of a training.
Navarro, Lupiánez and Bou-Balust took advantage of the event at CosmoCaixa to claim the good moment in the world of technology and the potential role of the territory in this category. “Barcelona is positioning itself very well in the sector and careers such as Telecommunications Engineering are unique and serve as exceptional platforms to enter this world,” explains the former UPC student.
Along these lines, Yolanda Lupiáñez recognizes that startups in Barcelona are being highly recognized worldwide and that, together with the good climate of the environment, they have a potential to develop in the coming years and where women will have an essential role.
