Many scholarships are created with a specific purpose—whether for women in science and technology programs, leadership positions, or advance degree programs. But the sad truth is that education in a developing country like ours is more of a privilege that is only attainable if one has the means. This is aside from the fact that it wasnʼt always easy to find scholarships for women until the last decade. ZCME recognizes that education is the ladder on which to climb out of poverty, that is why it has established the Empowering Women Scholarship Program (EWSP) in order to encourage women to not only attend college, but to succeed thereafter. Since 2009, the club has committed to grant education to a number of young women from marginalized families. These women, who demonstrate an eagerness to learn and who have a spirit of leadership, are enrolled in ZCMEʼs partner institutions like the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). This is where they enjoy financial assistance as well as mentoring, as they participate in workshops and seminars outside academics. Some recipients of this scholarship are women who have been out of school and now wish to return. Ten years after its establishment, EWSP has helped a total of 163 young women who finished their degree in male-dominated courses like engineering and science, most of them passing the board of licensure, and are now employed or taking further studies. The EWSP graduates are pillars of support for their families and the community towards a better life.
Since 2009, we at Zonta have been providing aid to young women who wish to enter in the fields of Engineering and Sciences through the Empowering Women Scholarship Program (EWSP).
