Session: Planting the seeds of STEM in women in underprivileged communities
The higher share of people living in poverty are women. The cause of gendered poverty is structural. It is entrenched in societies, workplace setting and embedded in personal relationships. Increasing women participation in STEM has proven to be an enabler to reduce the poverty level for women in underprivileged communities because STEM jobs are likely to result in higher wages and help empower economically challenged women.
Bio
MIREILLE TOULEKIMA is an internationally renowned Global STEM Consultant and Women Empowerment advocate who gained her experience working across 4 continents (Oceania, Africa, Asia and Europe) on projects of different scale in a range of technical and leadership roles for more than 20 years. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Perth based consultant company MT Energy Resources and the Regional Manager at GIMSGIY multimedia and technology company.
Mireille founded STEM Queens Uganda in 2018 and STEM Queen Australia in 2020 with the objective to reach out and sponsor African and Indigenous Australian girls and women to embrace STEM and increase women participation in STEM sectors. STEM Queen has for objective to empower at least one million women and girls in STEM by 2025.
In 2015, she Published the book “Local Content Key Enabler for Oil and Gas projects in Emerging Markets: Investing, Developing and Providing Oversight in Countries of Operation” that is now a refence book in Universities in UK and in Africa.
Mireille has been doing women empowerment work in the STEM sector for closed to a decade now. She is an Award-Winning Entrepreneur. She was a Finalist for WomenTech Network Global Award 2020 in the category Diversity & Inclusion Officer Role Model of the year. She was named Australian eYs Magazine 2020 TOP 50 GLOBAL KEY INFLUENCERS. In 2019, she was inducted as Western Australia Woman in STEM Role Model by WiTWA (Women in Technology Western Australia), was a Nominee for Western Australia Women in Technology Award by WiTWA and awarded the Exceptional Woman of Excellence Award by WEF (Women Economic Forum). In 2015 she received the Global Tech Women Award by WISTEM (Women in STEM Organization in USA).