SistersLab – Association for Women in Science and Technology (Bilim ve Teknolojide Kadın Derneği) works to increase the participation and visibility of girls and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
With grant support from the Digital Transformation Fund, launched in partnership with the Support Foundation for Civil Society and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), SistersLab received capacity-building support to strengthen its communication and engagement with stakeholders. As part of this support, the organisation set out to develop a clear communication strategy, renew its website, launch regular email campaigns, and prepare a guide on ethical principles in digital communication.
Below, SistersLab shares how interest in STEM has evolved, why digital transformation was needed, and how this support is helping them reach more women and girls.
Since your founding, have you observed any change in girls’ and women’s interest in STEM?
We can clearly say that interest among girls and women in STEM has increased. STEM has become a key focus area for many institutions and civil society organisations, and it now has a stronger place in the national education curriculum. This has helped more girls and women engage with science and technology.
During the pandemic, we moved our programmes online, which allowed us to reach participants not only in Istanbul but across Türkiye. Today, we have built a strong community of nearly 7,000 people. However, this does not mean the problem has been solved.
According to 2024 national university entrance statistics, women still make up only around 35% of students in STEM departments. This shows how deep the inequality remains. Our main goal is to help close this gap by offering role models, mentoring opportunities, and pathways that support young women as they begin their careers.
Since 2021, under our motto “We work for all women and girls”, we have reached a wide group — from high school and university students to graduates, early-career professionals, and women aged 50+ who want to strengthen their digital skills.
Through our mentoring programmes, we have matched nearly 800 mentors and mentees from across Türkiye, supporting both technical and personal development.
Increasing our visibility and sharing our success stories is only possible with a consistent and well-planned digital communication strategy.
What led you to develop a new communication strategy?
We realised that our existing digital tools were not supporting our work as effectively as they should. After moving online during the pandemic, our platforms became fragmented and difficult to manage.
Our website did not allow quick updates, making it harder to communicate with participants and donors. Social media and email communications were running separately, without coordination. We also lacked a proper email infrastructure, which prevented us from sharing targeted content or collecting feedback effectively.
With support from the Digital Transformation Fund, we decided to address these gaps. We also recognised the need for clear, measurable indicators to share our impact more transparently. A structured communication strategy helps us increase visibility and be more accountable to our supporters and partners.
Mentoring support was a real turning point in helping us reach our goals.
What capacity-building activities are you carrying out with this support?
We have made strong progress in our digital transformation. Our website has been largely redesigned and is now more user-friendly, functional, and interactive, allowing us to reach participants more effectively.
We have also established an email infrastructure that enables regular and targeted campaigns. Automation has saved us time, and even at this early stage, we have seen a clear increase in open rates.
Alongside this, we are developing a communication strategy that sets out our messaging, visual standards, and stakeholder engagement processes. A practical guide will support both our internal teams and external partners.
Our digital communication ethics guide will cover key principles such as data privacy, gender equality, accessibility, and diversity. It will be publicly available and serve as a long-term reference for ethical and transparent digital communication.
The mentoring we received through this support made a significant difference. Our mentor provided practical guidance, especially on improving the website’s usability, and supported us in developing a more professional corporate identity guide. This mentorship played a key role in helping us reach our goals.
Sharing the achievements of nearly 35,000 women engaged in our programmes shows the impact of our work.
What types of content will you focus on going forward?
We focus on sharing success stories, partnerships, and the real outcomes achieved by our participants. Highlighting the achievements of nearly 35,000 women who have taken part in our programmes shows the impact of our work.
Our podcasts feature STEM career paths and role models, supporting both young girls and women in professional life. Our newsletters are now more targeted, with tailored content for teachers, students, professionals, donors, funders, and sponsors.
We also produce social impact reports based on data from our partnerships and funded projects. These reports show outcomes such as women’s participation in STEM employment, the reach of our training programmes, and the results of our collaborations — strengthening both our visibility and our impact measurement.
After our Digital Marketing and Content Creation training, Aslı turned her hobby into a business.
How would you describe SistersLab’s impact to those who want to support your work?
Aslı’s story clearly shows the impact of our programmes. Aslı is 28 and joined us from Adana last year. After completing our Digital Marketing and Content Creation training, she decided to turn her hobby into a source of income.
She had been making handmade jewellery for some time, but through our workshops she learned how to use social media marketing and digital advertising tools. She began selling her products online and built a small business around her passion.
Aslı’s journey shows how digital skills can open real opportunities — and how the right support can help women transform their lives. This is what motivates us every day.
