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On this International Women鈥檚 Day, we are spotlighting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal to 鈥攕triving to end all forms of gender discrimination and promote the health, security, and well-being of all women around the world鈥攚ith the story of how one company is promoting women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).

While gender equality has seen much progress over the past few decades as girls and women have seen many advancements toward gender equality and opportunity, challenges still remain. Women continue to be . Gender inequality in the workforce has only become , as the disease has exacerbated many of the world鈥檚 existing inequalities. In the U.S., women have during the pandemic.

By giving women more opportunities exert power and influence in the workplace, companies will be better poised to help eliminate barriers that are often embedded into systems, and that impede attainment of career advancement. Here we look at Applied Materials, which is making deliberate strides to empower women and girls in its communities, workplaces, and beyond.

As a leader in technology, Applied Materials believes that diversity and inclusion are essential to building winning teams and driving innovation. Applied Materials is committed to building upon a culture that values diversity and inclusion, including gender diversity, as exemplified in Applied鈥檚 goal of increasing the representation of women in its U.S. workforce to 21% by 2021.

Recognizing the importance of supporting and cultivating future women leaders, in 2019, the Applied Materials Foundation launched Generation Girl, a three-pronged initiative that consists of philanthropic donations, nonprofit capacity building, and employee volunteerism.

Prior to the launch of the initiative, the Foundation worked with the National Girls Collaborative Project to produce a to better understand the origins and scope of the underrepresentation of women in specific career types and fields of academic study. The report identified stereotypes and a lack of self-efficacy as key challenges, in addition to naming strategies and recommendations for progress鈥攚hich became the foundation of Generation Girl.

鈥淪ociety pressures [girls] to conform to gender stereotypes starting in childhood鈥攆rom the activities they participate in, to the ways they dress or express themselves,鈥� said Julie Lata, program manager for Global Community Affairs at Applied Materials. 鈥淐ompound that with the fact that girls, especially those from marginalized communities, often do not have access to the resources they need to reach their potential, and the hurdles can feel insurmountable. We鈥檙e hoping to change that.鈥�

The goal of the initiative is to increase girls鈥� empowerment, facilitate leadership development, and provide access to high-quality after-school enrichment programs, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Through Generation Girl, the Applied Materials Foundation has partnered with organizations across the United States that are focused on ensuring that all girls鈥攔egardless of background鈥攈ave the tools, resources, and confidence to be successful in whatever field they choose.

鈥淕eneration Girl is guided by the belief that if we help girls break down barriers today, our workplaces will be more vibrant, equitable, and effective in the future,鈥� said Lata.