• The researcher María Suárez Taboada and Alexia Díaz Cerceda, from the International Projects Area at the CITIC, attended to the event promoted by the Women in Digital Forum on the occasion of International Women’s Day, in which initiatives of the ICT Centre to promote the participation of girls and women in STEM or the letter of commitment to good gender practices were highlighted.

A Coruña, March 9^th, 2026

The initiatives coming from the permanent equality group within the CITIC at the UDC are at the vanguard on good gender equality practices, both on the industry and public administration fields. This was demonstrated at the International Women’s Day 2026: Closing the gender gap in digital/Shaping Europe’s digital Future that took place in Brussels. Alexia Díaz Cerceda, from the International Projects Area at the CITIC, and María Suárez Taboada, researcher at the Centre, attended the 8^th and 9^th of March at the International Women’s Day 2026 event organized by the European Commission, centred around closing the gender gap in the digital sector.

Representatives of the Research Centre in Information and Communication Technologies attended this European meeting under the framework of the Women in Digital Forum (a platform of which the CITIC is a part) which gathers women experts, institutional managers, and organisations to boost actions and policies that reinforce the presence of women in the technological field.

During the event, Díaz and Suárez, through their experience as part of the permanent equality group at the CITIC, contributed in the comparative analysis on gender equality that will be part of the conclusions that will be a source of the next Women in Digital Declaration, a strategical document initially approved by the European Commission in 2019, which will be renewed soon.

the Women in Digital forum, since its creation in April 2025, has developed, through its seminars and working groups, a list of 12 policy recommendations aimed at strengthening the presence of women in information and communication technologies. These proposals will serve as a basis for the development of new European policies on gender equality in the digital sector.

The CITIC representatives also highlighted that the initiatives promoted by the centre’s permanent equality group are at the forefront of best practices in gender equality, both in industry and public administration. Among these initiatives is the “Letter of Commitment” addressed to the centre’s research staff, designed to reinforce the institution’s commitment to equality.

Another one of the main challenges identified during the gathering was the need to act from an early age to foster an interest among girls and young women to pursue studies and professional careers linked to ICT and STEM disciplines. In this regard, the CITIC initiatives aimed at educational centres, such as regular visits from elementary schools and high schools to their installations, were highly regarded at the forum, since they are a great contribution towards awakening technological vocations among the new generations.