The Use of Digital Technologies To Develop Girls' Creativity: Paths and Practices In Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, and Slovenia

The presence (or lack thereof) of women in STEM and ICT has become a key issue for the industry and for policy makers, as complex and nuanced questions of gender are brought to the centerstage of public discussion. As part of this ef-fort, this paper was written in the context of the SparkDigiGirls project, aiming to shine a light on the factors that keep girls and young women from pursuing careers in the field of ICT and provide tools and orientations to tackle these is-sues. A two-fold analysis was conducted, with interviews with experts in the sector, in the format of four round-table discussions, and an analysis of 30 case studies of projects/initiatives across the four partner countries: Lithuania, Greece, Slovenia and Portugal. The collected insights point to the persistence of gendered stereotypes, as well as prevailing misconceptions on the nature of ICT work. Furthermore, it points to the importance of teachers and educators, as well as the visibility of female role models in the industry. The investment in concrete and creative pursuits in ICT also appears as a defining factor to spark the interest of girls in the field.