The 100 participants of the Naturgy Foundation initiative Efigy Girls present their achievements in this course to the Secretary of State for Energy.

The Secretary of State for Energy and President of the Institute for Just Transition, Sara Aagesen, and the Director of the Institute for Just Transition, Laura Martín, shared a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) with the 100 girls from the Naturgy Foundation’s Efigy Girls programme, where they had the opportunity to present the joint project developed, show the robots they have been working on and present their achievements during the course.

Sara Aagesen welcomed the existence of an educational programme such as the Efigy Girls and encouraged them to continue their education in order to contribute to meeting future energy challenges and achieving a just energy transition for all. “We often ask ourselves how we can make STEM careers more attractive to women, and I think with this programme you cover two essential aspects: giving them access to information, so they can make choices, and showing them role models. No sector, least of all the energy sector, which is facing some of the greatest challenges in its history, can afford to do without half of its talent: the energy transition will only be a success if we have 100% of the talent available. We need female architects, engineers, site managers… and for that, today’s girls need to see that it is possible to have a promising and, above all, fulfilling career as a woman in the energy sector”, said Aagesen.

As part of the closing ceremony of the school year, Rafael Villaseca, president of the Naturgy Foundation, received the twelve Efigy Girls teams at an event in which the participants had the opportunity to explain their proposals, get to know each other, share and integrate their contribution in a joint solution that incorporates the viewpoint of all the Efigy Girls teams. “From the Naturgy Foundation we work to promote equal opportunities in the energy sector, and we put a special focus on the education of girls to ensure educational equity. The aim is that we promote STEM vocations for women in line with the just energy transition, so as to ensure universal access to technological education”, explained Villaseca.

After witnessing their achievements and putting their different robots into operation, the general director of the Naturgy Foundation, María Eugenia Coronado, praised all participants for their collaborative work and innovative capacity in the field of energy, as well as recognising the profound involvement of the different teams in global environmental problems.

Naia, Júlia, Marwa and Marcela, students representing the initiative, expressed their pride at having been selected to participate in the programme. “We signed up for this project because we love programming and learning new things”. “We have learned to work in an all-girl technology group. We feel very comfortable, as we support each other and express ourselves more freely”. And they concluded: “Being part of an initiative like this will allow us to do new things and open up new perspectives”.

An educational technology initiative committed to equal opportunities

With the aim of promoting interest in STEM disciplines and facilitating equal opportunities, last September the Naturgy Foundation launched a new edition of the educational initiative Efigy Girls. A funded educational proposal that is part of the Efigy Education Programme, aimed at girls aged between 10 and 16, which works on robotics, technology, science, energy and sustainability through innovation, creativity, teamwork and collaboration. The main objectives are to promote an active approach to learning by resolving different situations in the context of sustainability, environment and energy; as well as the development of a deep understanding of global environmental issues, coming to appreciate the impact of their actions on society at large.

Since its launch in the 2019/2020 academic year, 300 girls have benefited from the initiative. In this edition, 100 girls from twelve schools in Andalusia, Asturias, Catalonia, Galicia, Castile and León and Madrid participated in the programme.

The programme revolves around solving a common energy challenge to ensure that decarbonisation targets are met. Various challenges have been presented throughout the three years of the programme: Sustainable Cities (2023-2024), Green Energy (2024-2025) and New Mobility (2025-2026).

Efigy Girls is part of the Efigy Education Programme, with which the Naturgy Foundation offers a wide range of training in the field of climate change and new energy technologies, with more than one million people having benefited since 2018. The activities offer an innovative and participatory educational proposal, based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aligned with the Just Transition Strategy and the Environmental Education Action Plan of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).

Naturgy Foundation is a member of the STEAM Alliance for female talent promoted by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, which aims to promote an education system without gender stereotypes associated with certain vocations and professions.