The Statistics program at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (FCNM) of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) hosted the Infographic Competition "WOMEN IN DATA: Realities, Gaps, and Opportunities." This academic initiative promotes scientific dissemination, critical thinking, and the use of data visualization tools among university students.
This year's competition saw outstanding multidisciplinary participation, bringing together students from diverse majors—including Biology, Economics, Business Administration, and Statistics—who presented quantitative analyses focused on gender dynamics, the labor market, and equity.
Winning Team and Official Awards Ceremony
The recognition ceremony for the winners formally took place during the closing event of the School of Statistics and Data Analysis. Within this framework, first place was awarded to the project titled "Geography of Vulnerability: Spatial and Contextual Analysis of Violent Deaths of Women in Ecuador," developed by Statistics students Doménica Natalia Coello Vargas and Doménica Rafaela Rocha Vera.
Their research reveals a stark and alarming insight: 15 counties located across the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Manabí,and Santa Elena account for 56% of violent deaths of women nationwide. Through a clear and well-structured analysis,the winners successfully explained a complex topic to bring visibility to this severe social issue.
Overview of Participating Research Projects
During the event, 11 analytical projects were presented, focusing on the realities, gaps, and opportunities for women within the Ecuadorian context:
Paul Alexander Mosquera Intriago: From Expectation to Evidence: Violence Against Women in Ecuador
Dennisse Marie Soledispa Avelino: Where Is the Gap? Women and Job Quality in Ecuador
Diana Lissette Celi Castro: Motherhood and Informal Employment: The Professional Cost of Being a Young Mother in Ecuador
Cristhian Alexander Burgos Zorrilla & Biagio Salvatore Laprea Vásconez: Women in STEM: Multivariate Analysis of Female Scholarship Recipients in Ecuador
Nathalie Solia Gomez Garcia & Scarlet Jesenia Espinosa Ortiz: The Glass Ceiling in STEM: Income Gaps and Career Development for Women in Ecuador
Doménica Rafaela Rocha Vera & Doménica Natalia Coello Vargas: Geography of Vulnerability: Spatial and Contextual Analysis of Violent Deaths of Women in Ecuador
Iker Xavier Morán Villavicencio & Natasha Roxana Anzules Rivera: Giving Birth Shouldn't Depend on Your Zip Code: Regional Disparities in Pregnancy and Birth in Ecuador
Carlos Eduardo Goya Quiñonez & Mariela Margarita Avilés Gutiérrez: More Education, Less Inequality? Gender Income Gaps in Ecuador
Josh Erick Lanas Morales & Genesis Katrina Nacipucha Saula: The Weight of the Household on the Country's Growth: How Much Does It Cost Women to Sustain Ecuador and Retire in Old Age?
Diego Benítez: At What Point Do Our Paths Diverge? Women and Men on the Journey Toward STEM in Ecuador
Doménica Salomé Bolaños Luna: Women Programming the Future: The Gender Gap in Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies
Fostering Analytical Rigor Through Statistics
Initiatives like this competition reaffirm the commitment of both the Statistics program and the FCNM to empowering student talent. The application of data and applied statistics not only transforms how social realities are understood, but also equips future professionals with essential tools to drive positive impact in decision-making, as well as institutional and national development.
