It's an amazing pleasure to be here with you again. I was here a year ago when we had our heads full of dreams, we were thinking about a better future for our home country, for our security and our safety - as women and as citizens of Poland. And you know, after a year I’m here to say: We did it! - said Barbara Nowacka, the Minister of Education, during the opening of the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2024 - And we did it not only because of us, or not mainly because of us, but mainly because of you. All those who shared our dream of Poland that can be strong, European, open-minded, open to diversity, and stand for women's rights: in technology, politics, in life. We did it, guys! - she emphasized.
Poland as an IT & STEM hub
I believe Poland has the best IT and STEM future of any country, We are the best because we have great open-minded teachers full of determination to prove that Poland is the best country to live in and the best country to build your future in technology, business and life.
But to have this we have to have good schools. We already have great teachers who for years were doing their job because of passion. Certainly not because of the salary, but we are also trying to prove that salary is important and it can grow. So this is one of the tasks: to improve teachers' feelings, presence and prestige.
The second goal is to build a school that gives safety, and a sense of security. School is supposed to be a place where you get help and support, regardless of whether you are a girl or a boy, whether you come from a small village or a big city. You should be treated equally and you can find understanding, your place, inspiration, and strength from your teachers and your peers.
We need to invest in science!
Our third goal - and we must say this clearly - is the need to invest in science. School is also a place where we find talents and invest all our efforts to give them opportunities. We have here a future cosmonaut who was once a student at a Polish school. I can see in the audience many of you who have months and months of hard work in Polish schools, qualified in the intellectual Olympics, and got your presence and your position in the business, in the political environment, in the social environment because you wanted to. But could you imagine that you have more support from your state? I can imagine this. And I can promise you we will do everything, not only in the ministry, but also in the entire government, all the best to make all of us strong - boys and girls, to ensure that all students receive support, but especially girls need to have doors more open to technical sciences and that’s why - I love you so much, Bianka Siwińska, for organizing the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit.
Building resilience
I’ve been studying IT and I remember how it was to be one woman in the room, and how sometimes it was tough to make professors understand to use feminatives or at least to realize not to talk: “Hey, boys, let’s turn on the computer!”. It was some years ago. Now we have a different world, different opportunities, different challenges. Quantum computers, AI, on the other hand: bullying on the internet. What can we do in schools? We can build resilience. The resilience of our society. And to be honest: neither men separately nor women will build this. We can build this together! But equally together. This means: as many women as men in all boards, in all companies. I must ensure you that our government is thinking in terms of equality in every ministry. Every ministry has this focus on gender equality and the safety of every person. I wish you a good day here and a brilliant future and please wish me a brilliant future for Polish schools.
Watch the Opening of the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2024
