Almost all of us remember a girl who was “good at math” in school. Curious, persistent, she solved problems quickly, asked smart questions, and earned top grades without much effort. Yet today, we rarely see them in laboratories, IT teams, or engineering offices where important decisions are made and high-paying jobs are performed. Not because they lack knowledge, but because the systems we live in often do not recognize and do not encourage their full potential. 

At a time when the Western Balkans is undergoing a digital and green transition, it is clear that sustainable development is not possible without the equal participation of women. Although women in the region graduate at higher rates and often achieve better academic results than men, they make up only 14% of the STEM workforce in the region. This gap does not speak to a lack of knowledge, talent, or ambition among women, but to the existence of structural barriers. 

Experts, innovators, engineers, and women from STEM discussed these challenges at the online event “The Equation of Equality: Women, Innovation and STEM in the Western Balkans,” organized on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The event was realized within the project “EU4 Gender Equality - Women’s Economic Empowerment and Ending Violence Against Women,” funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UN Women. 

Through this project, UNDP strengthens the economic participation of women in STEM in the Western Balkans, builds spaces for their leadership and networking, changes social perceptions, and supports initiatives that remove structural barriers. UNDP does not only empower individual women, but also contributes to the transformation of policies, institutions, and labor markets so that women equally shape the green, digital, and innovative future of the region. 

Personal Stories That Reveal the System 

Behind the numbers and statistics stand concrete women and their experiences. Electrical engineer Marina Braletić, architect Aida Koluder Agić, and fashion designer Irina Tosheva come from different STEM disciplines, but their stories intersect at the same points — adaptation, questioning, and the decision to change the system. 

Marina Braletić believed for years that adaptation was the only way to survive in a predominantly male STEM environment. Later, she recognized that inequality was not an individual challenge, but a systemic flaw. Today, as a leader of technological teams, she works on developing innovative solutions and advocates for work models in which equality becomes the rule, not the exception.  

Aida Koluder Agić recognized similar patterns, as she faced the question at the beginning of her studies of whether architecture was “for women.” In a profession where men are still associated with constructions and construction sites, and women with interiors, she opened the question of the gender dimension of space, reminding us that the cities we plan reflect the values of the society that shapes them.  

Irina Tosheva, on the other hand, shows that STEM is not limited to laboratories and IT companies. Through fashion, sustainability, and green activism, she connects creativity and systemic thinking, while at the same time pointing to prejudice and ageism that undermine the credibility of women. For her, fashion opens a space in which marginalized groups gain visibility and voice, and represents a tool of empowerment and building a more inclusive society. 

Although they come from different sectors, their stories share a common denominator: none of them spoke about a lack of knowledge or ambition, but about rules that are not equally set for everyone. At the moment when they decided to stop fitting in and start changing the framework, their personal stories became part of a broader change that shows that when women shape systems, society as a whole benefits. 

There Is No Secure Digital Future Without Women 

In the digital age in which cybersecurity and artificial intelligence shape the economy, politics, and everyday life, women still face doubts about their expertise. That silent pressure which requires women to constantly prove themselves, as well as limited paths to leadership, are part of professional everyday life. 

Cybersecurity leader Luanda Domi warns that for many women the challenge is not only professional barriers, but also harassment that can undermine self-confidence, mental health, and reputation. She explains that the inclusion of women in cybersecurity strengthens the resilience of society and improves business results. She points to the importance of investing in women’s skills and knowledge, establishing strong mentoring programs, ensuring safe working environments, transforming organizational culture, and placing women in decision-making positions. 

The perspective is further strengthened by digital policy and innovation expert Orkidea Xhaferaj, who sees networking as a response to isolation, unequal access, and the lack of support for women in STEM. For her, networks are safe spaces of trust in which women exchange experiences, find mentorship and support, and openly speak about challenges, including sexual harassment that is often kept silent.  

The Potential We Must Not Lose  

The messages of the event are clear: women in STEM are not the problem, but the systems that limit them are. Gender equality in STEM is a prerequisite for economic resilience, innovation, and sustainable development of the region. Gender-sensitive education, strong mentoring programs, safe working and digital spaces, care infrastructure that frees up time for professional development, greater representation of women in decision-making, and strong support networks represent concrete steps toward structural change. 

And therefore, the final question is not rhetorical, but essential: what will we do with the potential of those girls who solve the most difficult math problems and believe that they can do anything? Their talent and curiosity for science are enormous potential for society, but their and our shared future depends on whether we will have the courage to change the system instead of them.