Zonta International – “Women in STEM” Scholarship: Supporting Women’s Education and Leadership in STEM
Zonta International – Global NGO
Global initiative implemented through Zonta clubs in more than 60 countries, including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and others.
Theme: Promoting digital careers
Phase and Stage: ICT – Masters
Action: Awards & prizes
Beneficiaries: Women only; Girls only; Universities
Users: Policy makers; Education providers; NGOs/Society; Researchers and experts
The Zonta International “Women in STEM” Scholarship was launched to address the persistent gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, where women remain underrepresented in higher education and leadership roles. Created by Zonta International, a global NGO present in over 60 countries, the programme supports women aged 18–35 through financial awards, visibility and access to professional networks.
Its main objectives are to promote women’s participation in STEM studies, recognise excellence, and foster leadership and innovation in digital and technical fields. The initiative combines funding, mentoring and advocacy, empowering women to continue their education and inspiring future generations to pursue digital careers worldwide.
THE CHALLENGE
Despite global progress in gender equality, women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM education and careers. Many talented female students face financial barriers, limited mentoring opportunities, and a lack of visible role models, which collectively discourage their participation in technical and digital fields.
The Zonta Women in STEM Scholarship was initiated in response to the persistent underrepresentation of women in STEM education and leadership, as highlighted by global gender equality reports and Zonta’s own advocacy work. Despite increased access to education, women continue to face barriers such as financial constraints, limited visibility, and lack of mentoring opportunities. The project was motivated by the need to remove these structural obstacles, recognise women’s excellence, and encourage participation and leadership in digital and technical fields worldwide.
OUR SOLUTION
Zonta International identified this gap through its long-standing work on women’s empowerment and observed that existing scholarship and leadership programmes rarely targeted young women in advanced STEM studies. The challenge was to create a globally accessible, inclusive mechanism that both recognises excellence and supports women’s continued education and transition into professional STEM roles.
The Women in STEM Scholarship directly addresses this challenge by combining financial support, visibility, and community engagement to break structural barriers and encourage more women to pursue and remain in STEM careers.
OUTCOMES
Since its launch, the Zonta Women in STEM Scholarship has awarded 16 international scholarships of USD 10,000 each every cycle, recognising outstanding women in STEM across more than 60 countries. The initiative has supported over 100 women globally to continue their higher education and research in digital and technical fields.
Beyond financial aid, the programme has fostered international networking, mentoring, and visibility, empowering women to assume leadership roles in academia, industry, and innovation. Awardees have become role models and ambassadors for gender equality in STEM, inspiring younger generations and contributing to greater diversity and inclusion in the global digital workforce.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The implementation of the Zonta Women in STEM Scholarship showed that financial support alone is not enough — lasting impact comes from combining funding with visibility, mentoring, and community engagement. Building strong local networks through national Zonta clubs proved essential for outreach and candidate support, especially in regions where women have limited access to STEM education.
A key lesson was the importance of clear eligibility criteria, transparent selection, and active promotion through universities and NGOs, which ensured both fairness and diversity. The initiative also demonstrated that recognising women publicly as role models can have a powerful multiplier effect, motivating younger girls to pursue similar paths.
These elements — structured support, transparent governance, and strong mentoring networks — are easily replicable by other organisations aiming to promote women’s participation in digital and STEM careers.
