About FabConnectHer

Girls and women remain significantly underrepresented in STEAM fields across Europe. This means missed talent, missed innovation, and missed opportunities for communities everywhere. FabConnectHer was created to change that.

Unlocking the potential of Fab Labs to tackle the gender gap in STEAM fields
The lack of gender diversity in STEAM fields is not only a problem for women, but for society as a whole
Providing a supportive inclusive learning environment with innovative education pathways

Our Idea

Fab Labs and Maker Spaces are uniquely powerful environments for learning. They are hands-on, creative, collaborative, and open to anyone willing to try. They also tend to be male-dominated. FabConnectHer asked a simple question: what would it take to make these spaces truly welcoming and empowering for girls and women?

The answer was never going to be a single programme or a single toolkit. Girls aged 8 need something different from young women exploring careers at 16, and both need something different from women at 25 looking to innovate or start a business. Educators need practical resources. Mentors need training and community. And Fab Labs themselves need support to rethink how they engage with half the population.

So we tried to build all of it, with the amazing support of the ERASMUS+ Programme.

Our Approach

FabConnectHer takes a multi-faceted approach that works across age groups, across learning contexts, and across borders. Everything we developed was co-created with educators, Fab Lab staff, and learners across five European countries and five languages. Ans upported by our Associate Partner, Edinburgh College i Scotland. Every resource was tested in real settings with real participants. And every output is openly licensed so that any educator, anywhere, can use it freely.

At the heart of the project is the belief that making is transformative. When a girl picks up a laser cutter for the first time, when a woman sees her prototype take shape, when a mentor watches her mentee grow in confidence: these are the moments that shift how people see themselves and what they believe is possible.

Our Partnership

FabConnectHer brings together organisations from the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Iceland. Each partner contributes a different perspective, educational context, and community of practice. This diversity is a strength. What works in a Dutch Fab Lab looks different from what works in Reykjavik or León, and that richness is reflected in every resource we produced.

Looking Ahead

Our Erasmus+ funding has come to an end, but in many ways we are only beginning. Every resource on this platform remains open and free. The MentHer Community continues to grow. 100 Fab Labs and Maker Spaces across Europe have committed to gender-empowered education. And new participants, mentors, and educators are discovering FabConnectHer every week.

This work belongs to everyone who believes girls and women deserve a place at the workbench, behind the screen, and at the centre of innovation. We invite you to explore, connect, and be part of what comes next.

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