Bridging the Gap: Empowering the Future of Girls in STEM
I often speak publicly about the importance of advancing women in STEM because the numbers still paint a troubling picture. According to the Society of Women Engineers’ 2025 Global STEM Workplace report, women make up only 28.2% of the global STEM workforce despite representing roughly half of the overall workforce in many countries (National Girls Collaborative Project).
This is not a talent issue. It’s an access and opportunity issue. And at AutoRemind, we believe deeply in doing our part to change that.
One way we contribute is by giving students opportunities to explore real-world technology long before they choose a career path. In Denmark, students in 8th and 9th grade participate in erhvervspraktik — a week of work experience that lets teenagers try out real jobs.
Recently, two 15-year-old girls — Camilla and Astrid — spent their work-experience week at AutoRemind. Initially, they were hesitant to join us because they didn’t believe tech was “a place for girls.” Lack of exposure to relatable role models and stereotypes about who “belongs” in tech are well-documented systemic barriers for girls considering STEM.
STEM Inforgram
Camilla and Astrid’s experience, however, exceeded everyone’s expectations and became a powerful demonstration of how students can build real software with surprising speed, creativity, and confidence. With no prior experience in coding, interface design, databases, or infrastructure, they used AI-assisted “vibe coding” tools and visual app generators to design, build, and deploy a fully working app all in just a few days.
They created their interface, connected a live database, and launched a functioning web app. And on Friday afternoon, when most students would be ready to leave early, they were still polishing features because they were building something they cared about!
These kinds of experiences matter. They show girls that tech isn’t a closed world reserved for those with years of experience or formal training or for someone “not like them.” They show that their ideas belong here, and that they can bring those ideas to life.
By backing early experimentation and eliminating outdated gatekeeping, AutoRemind invests not only in future engineers, but in diversifying the future of tech itself. Because when more women have a seat at the decision table, we get more perspectives, better technology, and more inclusive products.
Watching two teenagers turn ideas into a working app in just five days was both inspiring and hopeful. It’s a glimpse of what’s possible when curiosity meets opportunity, and a reminder of why empowering girls in STEM is essential.
Sources:
1) https://swe.org/research/2025/global-stem-workplace/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
2) https://www.ngcproject.org/sites/default/files/downloadables/2025-03/NGCP-TheStateofGirlsinSTEM-March2025-FINAL.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com