In international cities such as The Hague, and across many parts of Europe, Girls’ Day has become an established part of the education and innovation calendar, inviting girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through hands‑on activities and encounters with professionals. This week, 100 girls aged 11 to 14 from seven schools across The Hague region visited the European Patent Office’s (EPO) facilities in Rijswijk, taking part in workshops and demonstrations for a glimpse into the real‑world applications of science and innovation. The mayor of Rijswijk also joined the event, accompanied by young ambassadors from the Children’s Rights Group, promoting inclusion and empowerment in STEM education.
An international initiative with strong roots in The Hague region
Inspired by what she had seen and done during the workshops at the EPO in Rijswijk, one girl left determined to become a Formula 1 racecar mechanic, fascinated by the precision, teamwork and engineering behind high-performance racing. Another participant said the experience helped her imagine a future as a heart surgeon, combining technology, biology, and problem-solving to save lives. These moments of inspiration capture what Girls’ Day aims to achieve, while also highlighting how rare such clear career ambitions remain for many girls.
The stories of aspiring Formula 1 mechanics and future heart surgeons remain promising exceptions rather than the norm, as structural barriers persist. In an EPO report about women in STEM recently published, the EPO highlighted the persistent gender gap in technology-related fields: only 17.8% of technology researchers are women. While the number of women inventors is increasing, very few go on to launch technology startups.
“The choice of a STEM degree often sets the trajectory, and it is shaped long before university by experiences that build or challenge confidence and identity in STEM,” said EPO spokesperson Roberta Romano-Götsch. “Even today, women make up only about 30% of STEM tertiary graduates in Europe and with this event we want to inspire girls to embrace STEM and reverse this trend.”
With 39 member states and staff from 35 member states, the EPO is the largest international organisation in the Netherlands and is committed to inspiring future generations to engage with science and innovation. Through initiatives like Girls’ Day, the EPO aims to offer direct insight into real world STEM environments.
Women remain strongly underrepresented in deep tech entrepreneurship
The EPO report on women in STEM shows that girls perform as well as mathematics and science during compulsory education, yet this parity is not reflected later in their careers. The lower continuation rate of girls in STEM subjects is often described as a confidence gap rather than an ability gap, shaped by social expectations, stereotypes, and a lack of visible role models.
According to the same study, the gender gap is particularly pronounced in patenting startups. Only 13.5% of startups with patents include a woman founder. Differences across Europe are substantial: Portugal, Spain, and Ireland show the highest participation rates, while the Netherlands, Austria and Germany record the lowest. These findings come just as the EU’s Industrial Strategy and European Innovation Council (EIC) stress the importance of inclusive innovation ecosystems to reinforce Europe’s competitiveness in strategic technologies.
Newer startups show higher shares of women founders, suggesting that newly created startups are becoming more diverse. However, companies co-founded by women appear to face greater challenges in scaling.
