The first High Level STEM Forum, held in Barcelona on 9 November 2026, has produced an international resolution outlining four priorities to advance women’s participation, leadership and impact in science and technology.

Barcelona, 11 November 2026. — What began as an international conversation about the future of women in science and technology has become a concrete roadmap for collective action.

On 9 November, Barcelona hosted the first High Level STEM Forum (HLSF), an initiative bringing together international perspectives from Europe, the Americas and Africa to examine one of the most persistent challenges facing the global STEM ecosystem: the gap between equal opportunities and genuine equality in participation, leadership and influence.

Organised within the international ecosystem of Global STEM Women, STEM Women Congress and STEM Women Association, the Forum marked a significant step in the evolution of a movement that began in Barcelona and continues to expand across borders.

Beyond access: transforming the entire STEM journey

The Forum’s resolution, titled Advancing Women and Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM): From Equal Opportunities to Equal Participation, Leadership and Impact, identifies a fundamental challenge: increasing access to STEM education is not enough if women continue to face barriers throughout their professional lives.

From childhood stereotypes and unequal access to education to workplace discrimination, limited career progression and underrepresentation in leadership, the obstacles are interconnected and require coordinated solutions.

The resolution draws on perspectives from Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada and African countries, recognising that no single national model can address every challenge.

Four priorities for international action

The resolution establishes four strategic areas:

1. Build inclusive STEM pathways: Ensure that girls have access to practical STEM education, mentoring, role models and opportunities regardless of their geographical or socioeconomic background.
2. Retain, recognise and promote women: Move beyond recruitment figures to address retention, career development, equal opportunities, leadership and recognition across STEM professions.
3. Strengthen institutional accountability: Encourage governments, businesses, universities and organisations to establish measurable objectives, transparent reporting and shared responsibility for progress.
4. Empower the next generation: Give young people a meaningful role in developing solutions, shaping policies and leading international collaboration.

Together, these priorities call for a fundamental shift: from awareness to action, from isolated initiatives to international cooperation, and from participation figures to measurable impact.

A global conversation with a long-term ambition

The HLSF Barcelona 2026 resolution is conceived as a foundation for continued international collaboration, inviting organisations, institutions and participating countries to develop follow-up initiatives and share their progress.

It also identifies New York 2028 as an important milestone for the movement’s future international ambitions.

For Global STEM Women and STEM Women Congress, this represents a natural evolution of their mission: connecting talent, evidence, institutions and opportunities across countries to accelerate structural change.

The next phase will be defined not simply by the number of people joining the conversation, but by the ability to translate international cooperation into practical improvements in the lives and careers of women and girls.

From a congress to a global movement

The first High Level STEM Forum demonstrates how an international community can move beyond inspiration and visibility to develop shared recommendations that address systemic barriers.

The objective is clear: a future in which women are not only encouraged to enter science and technology, but are able to remain, lead, innovate and influence the decisions that shape our societies.

The Barcelona resolution is a starting point for that collective effort.

Contact:

Juan Piedrahita, Content Manager of STEM Women Congress & Global STEM Women

juan@globalstemwomen.org

www.globalstemwomen.org

Download the HLSF Barcelona 2026 International Resolution

Explore the four strategic priorities and the recommendations developed to advance gender equality in STEM through international collaboration.