Chief Scientist says mindset is key to closing the gender gap

Cyprus used the Women Who Built Europe Summit in Brussels to emphasise stronger female participation in research and innovation programmes and the example set by 35 Cypriot women across government, business and technology, as Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides said leadership mindset remains key to narrowing the gender gap.

Speaking during a high-level fireside chat at the Council of the European Union on March 17, Skourides said closing the gender gap requires “both structural policy and cultural transformation”, adding that progress depends on “collaboration between genders, as well as a shared commitment to reshaping mindsets and enabling inclusive growth”.

The summit, organised by European Female Founders and hosted by member of the European Parliament Tsvetelina Penkova, was moderated by EU Female Founders president Monika Stanisheva and brought together women founders, innovators and entrepreneurs from across Europe.

Among those attending were Penkova, former ministers Milea Stoycheva and Lilyana Pavlova, Startup Portugal executive director Miguel Aguiar, European Commission Task Force on Startups and Scaleups member Andreea Ticheru, as well as representatives from startups and scaleups across the wider European ecosystem.

During his keynote address, Skourides presented policies introduced by the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) to empower women researchers to take on leadership roles. He said that, between 2023 and 2025, the foundation launched 90 calls for proposals and signed contracts worth €100 million.

Those initiatives, he said, created 739 new jobs in cutting-edge sectors, of which 209 were held by women. At the same time, 372 businesses were supported, 187 collaboration networks were established and 184 companies partnered with research organisations.

Moreover, he said measures introduced through postdoctoral research funding programmes led to a marked rise in female participation.

Specifically, 61.16 per cent of submitted proposals were led by women coordinators, compared with 29.67 per cent in previous calls, while 76.4 per cent of funded projects were awarded to women, compared with 23 per cent in earlier programmes.

He also referred to alignment with the European Commission’s White Paper on Artificial Intelligence.

At the same time, Skourides pointed to Cyprus’ wider performance on gender representation, saying women account for 42.3 per cent of participation in science, engineering and STEM fields, and 29.3 per cent in ICT, while also noting 37 per cent representation in the cabinet.

That progress, he said, rests on the government’s strategic commitment to gender equality. He added that his office, together with the Commissioner of Communications, is actively supporting that agenda through initiatives such as Women for Tech and Women for Cyber, which together engage more than 670 active members.

He also said leadership choices are helping address the gender gap, while women leaders are actively fostering the next generation of female leadership.

Skourides also used the summit to place Cyprus’ efforts in a broader historical context. For more than 211 years, he said, women have played a defining role in advancing programming languages and in shaping fields such as intelligent systems, cryptography, cybersecurity, intrusion detection systems and quantum technologies.

In that context, he referred to pioneers including Ada Lovelace, Agnes Meyer Driscoll, Dorothy Denning, Parisa Tabriz, Maddie Stone and Lisa Mathews.

He also spoke about what he described as the performance-funding paradox, citing research showing up to 35 per cent higher return on investment for women-funded companies.

He linked that to leadership traits seen in Fortune 500 companies led by women, saying these leaders had shown resilience, perseverance, empathy, collaboration, risk-taking and the ability to act under pressure while remaining guided by values.

These qualities, he said, have made them powerful role models.

Turning to Cyprus, the Chief Scientist said the country has a strong group of 35 women whose work and mindset are inspiring others across the public sector, entrepreneurship, innovation, research, security, retail and healthcare.

Within government, he referred to Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki, President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou, Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Clea Hadjistephanou-Papaellina, Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis, Minister of Education, Sport and Youth Athena Michaelidou and Deputy Minister of Culture Lina Kassianidou.

He also highlighted Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panayiotou, Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou, Commissioner for Personal Data Protection Marina Christofides and Law Commissioner Sofia Kleopa Hadjikyriakou.

Also among those mentioned were Ombudsman Maria Stylianou-Lottides, Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights Eleni Pericleous and Financial Commissioner Valentina Georgiadou.

Beyond government, he emphasised women active across Cyprus’ technology, innovation and STEM ecosystem, including Maria Militsopoulou, founder of the WEWiLL Organisation, Antigoni Komodiki of Junior Achievement Cyprus and Junior Achievement Europe, Evgenia Herodotou of EnergyIntel, Rina Houlliotis of Zara and Inditex, and Chrystalla Charalambous, chief executive of Larnaca and Famagusta hospitals.

He also referred to Christiana Aristidou, Evangelia Athanasiou, Elena Strouthos, Georgia Solomidou, Tanya Romanyukha, Monica Ioannidou Polemti, Anna Pittalis, Margarita Zachariadou and Maria Stylianou.

In addition, he highlighted researchers and entrepreneurs including Kyriaki Michailidou, Maria Terzi, Marianna Procopi Demetriades, Despo Fatta-Kassinos, Phoebe Koundouri, Soulla Louca and Eleni Charitonos.

Skourides said there are many more examples, but that those he highlighted show “extraordinary leadership attributes such as resilience and grit, trust, collaboration, a commitment to growth, and a collaborative, can-do approach to achieving results”.

“What sets them apart,” he said, “is their continuous engagement, investment in personal development, mindset and leadership across the community and society, acting as role models who inspire younger generations and support a shift in leadership mindset.”

He also referred to remarks by Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou, who in Brussels highlighted the European Union’s renewed commitment to advancing women’s rights through the forthcoming Gender Action Plan, the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030 and the EU Roadmap on Women’s Rights.

Those remarks were delivered at the event For a Renewed EU Action Plan for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in EU External Action, organised by the European Commission and the European External Action Service.

Concluding his intervention, Skourides said continued progress depends on amplifying leadership stories, strengthening collaboration and leveraging global alliances such as the G100, a global network of women leaders across 100 sectors.

He also stressed the importance of allyship and the need to harness the distinct competencies and capabilities each gender brings in order to drive inclusive, innovation-led growth.

“Don’t wait for an invitation to the table. Step up and lead fearlessly,” he said.

His participation in the Brussels summit, meanwhile, also emphasised Cyprus’ effort to strengthen its role as a regional hub for research, innovation and inclusive technological development, in line with the country’s broader vision for sustainable growth and international engagement.