Obeleži sve kategorije koje odgovaraju problemu

On the occasion of International women in engineering day, which has been celebrated globally for 12 consecutive years on June 23, an interactive workshop was organized at the Science Club of the Center for the Promotion of Science for sixth- and seventh-grade girls from elementary schools in Belgrade. The goal of the workshop was to introduce participants to the opportunities offered by fields such as information technology and engineering—sectors in which women still make up only around 15% of the workforce.

In the introductory part, the girls had the chance to hear inspiring stories about women who have left a significant mark on the development of modern technologies—Ada Lovelace, the first person to write an algorithm intended for execution by a computer; Grace Hopper, who developed the first compiler; and Radia Perlman, one of the key figures in the development of Internet technology. Through their examples, the importance of women's contributions in fields traditionally perceived as "male-dominated" was emphasized.

Later in the program, under the mentorship of Aleksandra Savić, a student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, the girls were introduced to the basics of web programming and created their first websites. The topics they chose reflected their personal interests, and the workshop demonstrated the curiosity with which the new generation is stepping into the world of technology.

Such initiatives are part of broader efforts to provide young girls with early exposure to digital skills, as well as to encourage greater female participation in these fields by breaking down stereotypes and fostering a more inclusive tech sector.

In addition to the expert part of the program, the participating students were welcomed at the beginning by Borko Petrovic, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education; Sanja Arizanovic, Project Manager at UNDP; Milan Simic, Director of the Petlja Foundation; and Danijela Vucicevic, Acting Director of the Center for the Promotion of Science. They all encouraged the girls to believe in their ideas and explore the world of technology without limitations.

The workshop was organized as part of the project "Building Key Computer Competencies – Towards the Workforce of the Future," implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, with support from the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The Petlja Foundation is one of the project partners.