Equate Scotland

🌈 Pride Month: Championing Inclusion in STEM

This Pride Month, we stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ communities, celebrating the diversity, resilience, and talent that enrich our workplaces, our industries, and our society.

In STEM, inclusion isn’t just a value, it’s a necessity. Yet too many LGBTQ+ women and non-binary individuals continue to face systemic barriers, from underrepresentation to environments where they may not feel safe to be their authentic selves.

Creating truly inclusive STEM spaces means:

✨ Respecting and using people’s pronouns
✨ Valuing individuals for who they are and what they bring
✨ Challenging bias and discrimination wherever it appears
✨ Actively working to dismantle structural inequalities that limit gender equity

Because when people feel seen, respected, and supported, they don’t just succeed, they innovate, lead, and transform the future of STEM.

This month and every month, we reaffirm our commitment to building a sector where no one has to choose between their identity and their career.

💬 Let’s keep the conversation going. What does inclusion in STEM look like to you?

We had a fantastic time attending DataFest 2026!

A huge thank you to and everyone who stopped by to speak with us, contributed to our “Women Shaping AI in Scotland” survey, and shared such thoughtful, inspiring, and encouraging conversations. Your insights are helping shape an important piece of work.

Here’s a snapshot of what we heard from 57 respondents (55 based in Scotland):

🔹 High awareness of gender inequality
48 respondents reported being aware of gender inequality in Scotland’s AI and tech sectors — including 27 who said they were very aware.

🔹 Workplace culture is the biggest barrier
23 respondents identified workplace culture as the main obstacle to entering or progressing in AI. This was followed by:
• Lack of role models (20)
• Gender bias and discrimination (20)
• Lack of training and development opportunities (18)
• Caring responsibilities (18)

🔹 Strong concern about AI-related harms
51 respondents expressed concern about risks such as deepfakes, misinformation, and online harassment (38 very concerned, 13 somewhat concerned).

🔹 Representation matters
52 respondents believe that increasing women’s representation in AI would improve the safety and fairness of AI systems — with 37 saying it would significantly improve outcomes.

🔹 Career progression is the top priority
34 respondents identified improving career progression opportunities for women as the most important action. Other priorities included:
• Encouraging girls’ participation in STEM (26)
• Improving workplace culture (21)
• Addressing AI-related harms (15)

👉 This is just the start. We’re excited to take this further and develop deeper research into women’s representation in AI in Scotland.

We’ll be continuing this work — and inviting more people to take part in the survey — at the SICSA PhD Conference (23–24 June 2026) at . If you’re attending, come and speak to us!

🚗✈️ A flying car landing on a college campus wasn’t quite how we expected to spend yesterday… 🚗✈️

At Edinburgh College , we got a glimpse of the FLYVE PAL-V up close, alongside inspiring talks from Arthur van der Wees and Dr Sharon Lèmac-Vincere (PhD) on everything from to the Tartan Space Suit.

But what really stayed with us was the panel discussion.

👉 Skills matter more than qualifications.

As the conversation with Audrey Cumberford MBE FRSE, Carlo Maasbommel and others highlighted, it is becoming harder to predict jobs of the future but clearer than ever what people will need to succeed.

In a world where technology is changing so quickly, it is not just about what qualifications you have. It is about how you think, how you adapt, and how you work with others. Things like problem solving, teamwork, creativity and digital skills are what will carry people forward, not just a single qualification.

For us at Equate Scotland, this is why access to STEM matters 💜

If the future is being built now, everyone deserves the chance to be part of it and to build the skills to thrive in it.

Huge thanks to Edinburgh College and all the speakers for such an inspiring day 🙌

We’re excited to be part of the 2026 — a powerful, community-driven space dedicated to women’s health, knowledge and empowerment.

Our Deputy Director, Kerstin Doig, will be speaking on:

🎤 Stepping Up: Confidence, Courage, and Women in Leadership
📅 Saturday 6 June
⏰ 16:15 – 17:00
📍 Pop-Up inside the Meadows Festival, Edinburgh
🎟️ Free – no ticket required

The Everywoman Festival brings together expert-led talks, interactive sessions and evidence-based insights to support women at every stage of life. It’s an inspiring space to ask questions, challenge myths and connect with others.

Whether you’re looking to grow your confidence, step into leadership, or simply feel inspired — we’d love to see you there.

🔗 Explore the full programme: https://www.everywomanfest.com/programme-edinburgh