The consolidation of quantum computing, the revitalization of artificial intelligence/superintelligence, industry 6.0, health and personalized digital surveillance, 7G, the revolution of bioengineering, androids researchers… Within a few years, the innovation of digital technologies and artificial intelligence or superintelligent will represent an unknown and perhaps unimaginable Basque Country.

In this tsunami of digital transformation and in a world where technological advances increasingly affect people’s lives, the presence of experts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be necessary if this digital transformation is to be ours. You'll need to create, adapt, retain and attract STEM talent, you'll need to create a digital technology quarry, which we don't unfortunately have now. And in that need for talent, we need to reflect on where and for what women are going to have, whether they're going to be mere users in this digital revolution or whether they're going to have the capacity and responsibility to create, develop, build and internally transform a digital transformation.

If women have to be simple users, it will be enough to continue as before, but if you have to be active participants in the construction of this country, if women will contribute, we have a great job as a technological developer. And there's growing awareness, yes, fortunately, but it's pure awareness and there's a lack of strong policies to change reality.

Data gives no clues to hope. Analyzing the 2021/2022 course by EUSTAT, on 9 February data have been extracted: the number of people who have opted for Science and Technology in the baccalaureate is increasing, it was 51.4%, but in the baccalaureate of Humanities and Social Sciences the presence of girls is more marked, 62%.

In university enrollment, 78% of the Health Sciences are women, while in engineering and architecture they do not reach 29%. And significant data in engineering, such as electronics, computers or mechanics, less than 20 percent.

With data from Higher Vocational Training the scenario is similar, 77% of women to health and 63.4% to chemistry. In electricity and electronics 7.1%, in mechanical manufacturing 11% or in computer and communication 15.1%.

With the highest number of employees in Engineering and Technology (63.6% of total R&D), women only represent 28% of the workforce.

With this data we can foresee a terrible, really worrying future. Women still stand out in the areas related to care and health, and their presence in studies and professions related to digital transformation is very scarce.

And the presence of women in the technological sphere will not take place overnight. Since girls are boys, we have to start working deeply, destroying stereotypes, developing spatial skills, demonstrating that toys have not proved gender, demonstrating that with technology you can improve people's lives, present referent women, and if you're closer, empower girls, spread limitless imaginaries and make you believe that they can be what you want.

For this country to move forward and meet the new challenges that will come, we will need women and girls. Women must be protagonists of this revolution, incorporate their opinion, their way of doing, their experience and their vision in the development of digital transformation, ensure the footprint of women technologists in the future Basque Country that we are building.

As Xabi Solano’s song says, “We are heirs to the witches you burned. We have the brooms of the witches you burned...”.

These brooms must become a digital broom, and our responsibility is to shape them with digital feminism, all the biases that can bring artificial intelligence, superintelligence and all the digital technologies that will come, to eliminate discrimination, to guarantee Euskera in the digital environment, to position it as a nation, to prioritize green digitalization and, of course, for the digital transformation we make to be ethical, in short, to put people and nature at the center.

The digital broom, so that women also make digital contributions and, unlike many historical eras, are protagonists of a Basque Country that will make them live of leadership and technological feminism.

International Day of Women and Scientific Girls

Lore Martinez Axpe, Eusko Alkartasuna affiliate and EH Bildu parliamentarian