Boosting gender equality in science and technology in TVET
UNESCO-UNEVOC launched the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Programme with a kick-off webinar on 26 November 2025 that initiated coordinated action across the UNEVOC Network. The programme aims to strengthen institutional capacity to promote gender equality, social inclusion and the participation of girls and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related TVET.
Rationale
The UNESCO Strategy for TVET 2022-2029
emphasizes the transformation of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems to build inclusive and resilient societies, ensuring that all learners can access skills for decent work and lifelong learning. This vision is critical because persistent gender and social disparities in TVET, particularly in STEM-related fields, continue to limit equitable participation in TVET systems globally. While 78% of UNESCO Member States have adopted measures such as free training or scholarships for disadvantaged groups, women and girls remain at significant risk of exclusion due to a complex interplay of social, economic and cultural factors.
Globally, women represent only 35% of STEM graduates and hold just 22% of STEM jobs in G20 countries, with progress stagnating for over a decade.
These disparities are driven by entrenched stereotypes perpetuated early, at home and in schools, in curricula and textbooks. Unequal access to resources and guidance are compounded by intersectional disadvantages, such as poverty, disability, geographic isolation and gender-based violence, that disproportionately affect girls and hinder their access to quality education and training as well as STEM skills and knowledge for ‘jobs of the future’.
UNESCO-UNEVOC emphasizes that inclusive TVET systems must address these intersecting barriers by adopting gender-responsive policies, improving data collection and fostering learning environments that reflect the diverse needs and lived experiences of all learners.
Drawing on the strength of the UNEVOC Network, with 245 UNEVOC Centres in more than 150 Member States, UNESCO-UNEVOC's GESI programme is designed to meet this need.
The GESI programme
The GESI Programme is part of the UNEVOC EDGE Flagship (Entrepreneurship, Digitalization, Greening and Equity) and directly supports the UNESCO Strategy for TVET 2022–2029. It focuses on mainstreaming gender equality and inclusion in all aspects of TVET, from policy design to classroom practice and career guidance.
By the end of this programme, the GESI focal points will gain knowledge and tools to:
Integrate gender-responsive pedagogies that promote equitable learning outcomes
Implement social inclusion strategies addressing barriers faced by marginalized learners
Encourage girls’ participation in STEM through mentorship, role models and gender-sensitive teaching approaches
Strengthen career guidance systems that empower women and underrepresented learners to transition successfully into the workforce
Kick-off webinar
The webinar served as the starting point of this mandate and aimed to raise awareness on the importance of gender-balanced participation in science and technology for sustainable development.
Agenda
Wednesday, 26 November 2025, 10:00-11:30 CET
10:00-10:05 - Introduction
- Ms Priscilla Gatonye, Programme Officer, Inclusion and Youth Employability, UNESCO-UNEVOC
- Mr Friedrich Huebler, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC
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- Ms Debborah Odenyi, Country Program Manager, Girl Rising Kenya
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- Mr Rolf Schreuder, Director of European Affairs, STEM Coalition, The Netherlands
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- Mr Joonas Merikko, Director, Annie Advisor, Finland
- moderated by Ms Anshika Kushwaha, Consultant to UNESCO-UNEVOC
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- Ms Lenny Martini, Assistant Programme Officer, Inclusion and Youth Employability, UNESCO-UNEVOC, with representatives from UNEVOC Centres
- Dr. Maryam Subhani, National Skills University Islamabad, Pakistan
- Dr. Aidan Kenny, Technological University Dublin, Ireland
Presenters
Debborah Odenyi is the Kenya Country Manager at Girl Rising.
A passionate educator and a strong advocate for girls’ education, leadership, and empowerment, Debborah brings over 30 years of experience in the education sector. She led the accreditation process for the Girl Rising Life Skills & Gender Sensitization Curriculum, RISE (Resilient, Inclusive, Skilled & Educated).
Before joining Girl Rising, Debborah served as the Education Program Officer at Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). Earlier in her career, she taught in both national and international curriculum schools and held various administrative roles with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in public schools.
Debborah studied Education at Eregi and Kaimosi Teachers’ Training Colleges, the Kenya Institute of Special Education, and Kenyatta University.
Rolf Schreuder works at the intersection of youth engagement, STEM education and European policy. He supports the EU STEM Coalition in helping countries strengthen their STEM pathways and build practical collaborations between governments, schools and industry.
Rolf is the creator of the STEM Mentality Model, a framework that helps understand young people’s motivations and make STEM education more inclusive. He also coordinated the international Darwin200 Leader programme, working with young conservationists and scientists on hands-on environmental projects across the world. Alongside this, he has worked as a programme manager on digital inclusion, focusing on equal access to technology and opportunities for all learners.
With a background in communications, Rolf enjoys translating complex ideas into accessible programmes, tools and partnerships. His work is shaped by curiosity, pragmatism and a commitment to broadening participation in science and technology. He is based in Amsterdam and collaborates widely with European networks, NGOs and educational institutions.
Joonas Merikko (PhD) examines in his work, how data and artificial intelligence can enhance learner support, promote equitable guidance practices, and enable educational institutions to detect early signs of student disengagement.
He is currently serving as Chief Product Officer at Annie Advisor, developing a student support platform, and as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Research Group on AI for Society and Education (RAISE) at the University of Helsinki, conducting research on AI in education and wellbeing.
Joonas has previously contributed to major national data initiatives for the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and Finnish National Agency for Education, including the development of the Education Statistics Finland portal. He regularly delivers lectures and workshops for educational institutions and trains education leaders and teachers on the ethical and effective use of data and AI in education.
Resources and links
- The presentations shared during the webinar can be accessed from the agenda
For any inquiries, please contact unevoc.inclusion(at)unesco.org.
