The girls and boys of Primary of the Buenos Aires school have visited the facilities of the city's drinking water treatment station in the framework of the day ‘STEM female profiles in the water sector’

What do you have to study when you work to work in a water treatment plant or how many future scientists are in this group are some of the questions raised today by the girls and boys of Primary of the Buenos Aires School of Palencia who have participated in the day 'female profiles STEM in the water sector '.

This activity, framed within the Aquae STEM project promoted by Aquona and the Aquae Foundation in which the Buenos Aires school participates with two other schools in the capital of Palencia, has been developed at the drinking water treatment station (ETAP) of the city ​​on the occasion of the celebration of International Women's Week.

The delegated councilors of the areas of Environment and Neighborhoods and Education and Youth of the City of Palencia, Juan Antonio Marcos and Víctor Torres, respectively, have attended the conference and have shown municipal support for this type of initiatives. Specifically, Víctor Torres thanked Aquona for the impulse he offers to projects such as Aquae STEM, which is located within “the 2030 Agenda of the City of Palencia”.

This activity has two parts. The first one has been a visit to the ETAP facilities where the girls and boys have been able to see first hand the processes through which the water passes from when it is captured in the Canal de Castilla until it reaches their homes. The second has consisted of a small talk with students about issues related to gender equality, roles in scientific professions or why it is necessary to celebrate International Women's Day.

Laura de Vega, Director of Sustainable Development of Aquona and training chemistry, has shared with her participants her own career as STEM and has encouraged them to opt for careers and scientific and technical training such as chemistry, engineering, mathematics or medicine . In this sense, De Vega has stressed the need to continue working for women's equality and rights and has appealed to the youngest to act as they represent “the generation of equality” and there is still “a long way to go " In 2019, the wage gap between men and women reached 30%, while the unemployment rate was 3% higher in women than in men.

Meanwhile, Laura Hidalgo, responsible for Aquona Operations at the ETAP of Palencia, has conducted the visit and taught the children their daily work.

The Aquae STEM project aims to promote scientific, technical and mathematical vocations among primary school students, also involving children to recognize and value female talent. Aquae STEM is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 4 (inclusive, equitable and quality education), 5 (gender equality), and 6 (clean water and sanitation). In addition to the Buenos Aires school, the CEIP Tello Téllez de Meneses and the CEIP Marqués de Santillana have also joined in Palencia and it is planned that this initiative will reach 3,500 girls directly from 50 educational centers directly at the national level.