The ‘Women that Build Awards’ recognized Janeth Bonilla and Ana Gabriela Valdiviezo for their efforts to technologically empower more girls and women in the country.
The two Ecuadorian winners of the Globant award, Ana Valdiviezo and Janeth Bonilla.
Several published studies indicate that women are ‘underrepresented’ in so-called STEM careers, but two Ecuadorians prove the opposite.
STEM careers refer to knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
And in April, two professionals made Ecuador the only country to win two awards at the ‘Women that Build Awards’ event.
These are the Ecuadorians Janeth Bonilla, co-founder of the Kichwa Institute of Technology; and Ana Gabriela Valdiviezo, creator of the National Forum for ICT Girls and Women in the country.
These awards, organized by the Globant company, recognize the development and visibility of women in science and technology.
“We are in an industry that generates significant impact, and that is why we need to work on making it more diverse and inclusive,” acknowledged Globant’s chief operating officer, Patricia Pomies.
In 2023, the awards had more than 1,800 nominations, 1,100 nominees, 110,000 votes, and 70 international judges.
PRIMICIAS spoke with the two winning Ecuadorians, and these are their stories of struggle and dedication.
Janet Bonilla
Born in the community of Ashambuela (Cotacachi-Imbabura) 28 years ago, Bonilla learned as a child how important it is to break gender stereotypes.
This led her to graduate in Agricultural Engineering in 2020, a branch perhaps mistakenly intended only for men.
“I came across cases in which they asked me if I could carry weight, if I would be good at changing electricity cables, or installing irrigation systems, things that had nothing to do with my professional profile,” says the young woman.
She comments that one of her great challenges has been for male farmers to gain confidence in her ability as an engineer.
His love for the countryside comes from his parents and his closeness to plantations and crops in his Kichwa community.
“I am more than grateful to my parents because they were mentors, guides and they are the ones who tell us, although today was not a good day, tomorrow will be better”, says Bonilla.
Bonilla achieved the award in the Rising Star category, due to her work as co-founder and vice president of the Kichwa Institute of Science and Technology.
The latter is a network of professionals from different Ecuadorian cultures and nationalities, focused on solving problems in rural communities.
The organization promotes that more indigenous women and men are interested in STEM careers, as a way to complement their ancestral knowledge in agricultural fields.
Among the projects that the young woman has promoted are scholarships and workshops for children in rural communities on STEM knowledge.
“At Runa Space we bring knowledge of astrophysics to rural communities,” adds the professional.
In addition, with the organization they developed a space rocket project that participated in NASA’s Deep Space Challenge.
And Bonilla’s ambition is even to develop micro-vegetable crops for space exploration.
In 2022, she was invited by the One Young World network of young leaders to be one of the ambassadors of the meeting in Manchester (United Kingdom).
Ana Gabriela Valdiviezo
With 19 years of experience, Ana Gabriel Valdiviezo knows firsthand how important it is for girls to get involved in technology at an early age.
She is an Electronics Engineer and a Master in Big Data, she has also been a consultant for programs that eradicate the digital gender gap.
Due to his work in favor of the democratization of technology, Valdiviezo won the Globant award in the ‘Digital Leader’ category.
The Ecuadorian professional had her time at the Ministry of Telecommunications, where she managed to promote several projects to connect women from vulnerable areas and even train prisoners.
“We are working on a public policy for the affordability of technology, so that vulnerable women can access the social rate”, for Internet connection, explains Valdiviezo.
While in the private sector, engineer Valdiviezo has promoted countless campaigns to empower girls and women in STEM careers.
One of these projects is the National Forum for ICT Girls and Women , which is now four years old. “It is about an exchange of experiences, where we make visible those women who are betting on knowledge and talent”, says Valdiviezo.
In addition, this engineer defines himself as a ‘Steminist’, a term dedicated to those who fight to break the myth that technological professions are only for men.
For this reason, she also founded the ‘Steministas’ program, where two girls interview women scientists, astronauts or software designers.
