Girls' Day 2025: Inspiration for young women in MINT careers!

Girls' Day 2025: Inspiration for young women in MINT careers!

As part of Girls' Day 2025, which took place on April 3, 2025 at the German Sport University Cologne, 24 students from Cologne and the surrounding area had the opportunity to gain insights into MINT courses and career prospects. This initiative aims to get girls and young women excited about mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology. The event was hosted by Dr. Theresa Hoppe, equality officer, opened the event.

A special highlight of the event was the practical insight into wrestling and fighting under the direction of Dr. Susan Werner. Fairness and team spirit played a central role here, which was illustrated by entertaining pool noodle fights. In addition, the student advisory service gave an overview of the university's range of courses, while Lisa Krampe gave insights into the career of a sports IT specialist and sports game research.

Promote diversity in STEM courses

The Girls' Day at the German Sport University Cologne offered not only theoretical information, but also practical experiences. A laboratory visit to the Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopedics presented various measurement methods, including determining the jump height with a force plate and the impact force on a crash test dummy. The aim was to introduce the students to the scientific methods of biomechanics and to actively involve them.

The nationwide Girls' Day took place at the Free University of Berlin on March 18, 2025, where over 520 students took part in more than 40 workshops in biology, chemistry, computer science and physics. The aim of these events is to break down old gender roles and encourage young women to enter underrepresented professional fields. Current statistics show that in the MINT subjects at the FU Berlin only 28% of computer science students and around a third of physics students are female, a figure that can be increased considering that the proportion was less than 20% ten years ago.

Steps towards equality in science

Although women in Germany are well-educated, their participation in higher education declines as they advance up the academic career ladder, a phenomenon known as the “leaky pipeline.” According to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the proportion of women among doctoral students is 46%, among habilitation candidates 37% and among professors 29%. The BMBF aims to counteract this trend and promote equality in science.

The federal and state women's professor program, which started its fourth program phase in 2023, is intended to help increase the proportion of women in science. In addition, the integration of gender aspects into research processes is of great importance for better research results. An example of this is the “Diversity at German Universities” initiative, which will be funded from 2022 to 2024 and aims to strengthen the diversity and visibility of women in science and innovation.

In summary, events like Girls' Day not only serve to boost girls' self-confidence, but also play a central role in combating gender inequalities in STEM fields. The next Girls' Day at the German Sport University Cologne is already planned for April 23, 2026 and will certainly motivate other young women on their way into MINT careers.