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7th edition awards

CaixaBank and Microsoft acknowledge the best students of STEM degrees in Spain through the WONNOW Awards

For the seventh consecutive year, CaixaBank and Microsoft have awarded the 16 best university students studying scientific and technical degrees in Spain through the WONNOW Awards. These awards acknowledge female excellence in STEM university degrees – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics –, to champion diversity and reduce the gender gap in these sectors.

Since their creation in 2018, the WONNOW Awards have received applications from more than 4,800 students across Spain, accrediting the consolidation of this call, which has become a benchmark across the university sector. This latest edition has set yet another record participation, with a total of 1,078 applications, which is four times the participation recorded for its first edition.

The percentage of women working in scientific and technological positions compared to the total number of women employed in Spain is only 5%. Among men, that figure goes up to 13%. Work must continue in order to accelerate vocations and incorporate women into the STEM sectors, as these provide a vast range of career opportunities.  

This is one of the objectives of the WONNOW Awards, whose presentation ceremony of the seventh edition was held at CaixaBank's ‘all in one’ Madrid branch, with the presence of Gonzalo Gortázar, CaixaBank's chief executive officer; Eva Fernández, director of CaixaBank's Digital Channels and Innovation; Silvia Hernández, director of the Financial and Insurance sector for Microsoft Spain; and Raquel Hernández, director of Security Solutions for Microsoft Spain.

During his intervention, Gonzalo Gortázar explained that “this initiative aims to acknowledge and reward the talent of women who decide to study scientific and technological degrees, as these are gaining importance in so far as dealing with the global challenges our society is facing, yet these degrees are yet to increase their female presence”. Along these lines, CaixaBank's CEO has thanked the successful candidates for the example they are setting in increasing awareness among young girls in terms of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the manner in which this helps us all to continue making progress as regards equal opportunities.

Furthermore, Silvia Hernández emphasised that “the female scientists and technologists of tomorrow are sitting in today's classrooms. If we fail to increase women's interest in this type of career choices, we will find it all the more complicated to reduce the gender gap within this sector, which is experiencing an increased demand for new professional profiles to cover the different areas and jobs that are required for the new reality which emerging through digitisation. At Microsoft we are convinced the talent knows no gender, and that is why we work to inspire young girls, encouraging and helping those who have recently graduated to further their careers in the STEM world. We have continued fostering actions, such as these WONNOW Awards, so as to encourage female interest for the world of technology and science”.

Best academic records

In 2024, the student with the best academic record, personal, professional and social development has been Carmen Tabuenca Gómez (Pamplona), double degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Navarre, having been rewarded with an economic endowment of 10,000 euros and access to a Microsoft mentoring programme.

The remaining successful students will have access to a Microsoft mentoring programme and will work for a six-month period at CaixaBank with a work contract in key areas such as Digital Transformation & Advanced Analytics, Means and Sustainability, among others.

MEET THE WINNERS

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CaixaBank's commitment to diversity

Diversity, meritocracy, equal opportunity and talent recognition are some of the pillars of CaixaBank's corporate culture. Under these premises, it works with a commitment to become a benchmark for its employees, promoting inclusion and participation and bolstering projects that promote equal opportunities, both within the company and across society as a whole. In fact, women hold 43% of managerial positions at CaixaBank, and 40% of the Board of Directors is comprised of women.

CaixaBank has the Wengage diversity programme, a Group-wide project developed by people from every area of the company. Based on meritocracy and on promoting equal opportunity, it works to encourage and implement every aspect of diversity: gender, functional, generational, LGBTI, cultural and more. Wengage includes internal measures to involve and create awareness for everyone on the value of diversity, to promote flexibility and balance and to strengthen the role of women, with a focus on internal promotion processes and female mentoring plans. Additionally, CaixaBank is the first Spanish company to obtain the AENOR certification for its mentoring programme.

Moreover, Wengage also rolls out different external initiatives for customers and society as a whole, with a view to driving diversity, based on four main areas of action: leadership and entrepreneurship, by organising different prizes to recognise female leadership in business (CaixaBank Woman Entrepreneur Award and Self-Employed Woman Award); innovation and education (WONNOW Awards for academic excellence by women in a STEM field); sport (sponsorship of the women's national basketball team) and rural environment (AgroBank Chair: Women, business and rural environment, or a study of the gender gap in the agricultural sector by Closingap).

In addition, CaixaBank has rolled out an Equality Plan to promote the principles of equal opportunities and diversity at work, to enhance the presence of women in managerial positions, and reinforce measures to achieve a good work-life balance. The plan features the scope of gender in managerial development programmes and in recruitment and training processes, and the fostering of teleworking and flexibility. 

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About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq «MSFT» @microsoft) creates platforms and tools driven by AI to offer innovative solutions that may meet the constantly evolving needs of its customers. The technological company undertakes to ensure that AI is widely available and to do so in a responsible manner, with the mission of helping every person and every organisation on the planet to more in their day-to-day.

Microsoft is a diverse company in every respect. Its mission as a company is inherently inclusive. Internally, the company promotes a culture that allows its employees to connect their energy and passion for technology with this mission. And for this, diversity is crucial.

The company is committed to digitisation and the development of digital skills as its main focus for reimagining Spain, with the aim of leveraging technology in an inclusive way, allowing for diversity and talent no matter the gender.