Perseverance and unity propel global women STEM leaders

An international panel of women known for shattering barriers in their respective countries emphasized the importance of fostering community at a recent event co-sponsored by a similarly focused local group.

Eight women experts in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are again touring the area thanks to St. Petersburg-based nonprofit World Partnerships and the U.S. Department of State. They hail from Australia, Brazil, Ghana, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Nepal and Samoa.

Thrive DTSP hosted Monday night’s presentation, “Hidden No More: Empowering Women Leaders in STEM.” The St. Petersburg chapter of Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship (WTE) co-sponsored the event.

Raechel Canipe launched the now-statewide organization locally in December 2022 to empower and connect ambitious women. World Partnerships has hosted international changemakers for nearly 25 years and the Hidden No More program since 2018.

“It’s a great reminder of the power we have to affect positive change in our community,” Canipe said of the event. “Every one of these women is a testament to the individual tenacity and passion that brings these communities together and makes that generational transformation.”

Tiahni Jade Adamson is an Australian wildlife conservation biologist and community engagement officer. She said the government forced her to leave home and attend a mission school for Indigenous children.

Adamson learned the world is inequitable growing up on a campus that prohibited her native language and culture. She also realized the importance of embracing differences, something she imparts while hosting STEM workshops for kids.

“A big driver of doing what I do is so young girls can see the diversity,” Adamson said. “Not just that I’m a woman, but all this lived experience. We all have a lot of joy, and we all suffer as human beings.

“So how can we change that suffering to good and lift everyone up?”

St. Petersburg-based nonprofit World Partnerships has hosted annual Hidden No More: Empowering Women Leaders in STEM events since 2018.

Phyllis Asante, a senior project architect in Ghana, is the only woman at her firm. She encouraged attendees to pursue male-dominated roles without fear of standing out in a room.

The panelists unanimously stressed the importance of education. Most faced significant academic hurdles due to their gender or cultural norms.

Enid Westerlund is a business consultant, pilot and columnist. She also founded the Samoa Early Learning Foundation to mitigate a lack of books and substantial literacy gaps in her country.

However, Westerlund said she doesn’t see a professional gender gap in Samoa. “Women are now so empowered that the men are left behind.”

“For me, it’s everybody – it’s inclusive,” Westerlund added. “We not only have to empower women but also men because a lot of men have mental health problems and issues they don’t talk about.”

Zarina Biyumbayeva is a certified project manager in Kazakhstan. She also founded the Caravan of Knowledge Corporate Fund as a domestic abuse survivor.

Biyumayeva said domestic violence is rampant in her country, and women often lack the knowledge and resources to flee. In addition, she noted that most universities are corrupt.

Biyumbayeva’s organization promotes values-based STEM education. She credited her survival and success to identifying and establishing a network of like-minded colleagues.

Asante told attendees that a positive attitude and perseverance are more important than financial resources. Adamson said the group committed to “never rip other women down again, that we would lift each other up and support our network.”

She also referenced a neon sign prominently displayed in the conference room. “Together we thrive – that’s on the wall, and it’s so true,” Adamson said.

World Partnerships has welcomed roughly 8,000 international visitors to the area since 2000. An alumna of the 2018 Hidden No More cohort attended the event.

This year’s group toured the Dali Museum, a University of South Florida oceanography camp for girls, the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub – and the facility’s women leaders. They also met with Lakewood High School’s robotics lab and with former astronaut Nicole Stott at St. Petersburg College. They are now in Boston before meeting other cohorts in Los Angeles and returning to their native countries.

Gary Springer, CEO of World Partnerships, noted the trailblazers would never have met each other, their hosts or attendees without the state department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. “We’re convinced this is one of the best uses of tax dollars there could ever be,” he said.

“People leave here knowing who we are, and we all leave as friends,” Springer added. “They get to see us – warts and all. They’re going to be here for the election.”