1851 Trust Guest Blogger – Hannah Mills OBE
1851 Trust ambassador Hannah Mills is a double Olympic gold medallist, strategist with Emirates GBR SailGP team and skipper of the Athena Pathway Programme’s Women’s America’s Cup team. Hanah is a passionate environmental advocate helping to promote STEM and climate education for young people, using her platform to inspire action on environmental issues.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #AccelerateAction, serves as both a call to empower women and shine a spotlight on the remarkable initiatives working tirelessly to do just that. I’m incredibly proud to be part of the founding team for the Athena Pathway Programme and an ambassador for our official charity the1851 Trust. These programmes aim to create opportunities in traditionally male-dominated fields, driving forward the push for gender equity.
Imagine a future where women are equally represented in every field. STEM and sports embody these possibilities; however, these industries still face significant gender gaps. Research from the IET shows that 45% of young women are not encouraged to think about STEM careers in school and 32% are put off by how male dominated the industry is. The UK alone faces a 110K annual shortfall in STEM roles with women making up 29% of the current STEM workforce ** promoting engineering careers to more girls and women has never been as critical.
At first glance, sports and STEM may seem worlds apart. But on closer inspection, they share critical similarities. Both demand leadership, thrive on innovation, and rely on teamwork to succeed. When competing at the highest level of any sport STEM roles are hugely important in making performance gains that equal success on the racecourse. Both also face similar barriers when it comes to gender equity, but that’s what makes them fertile ground for change. By creating pathways for women in these spaces, we build not just toward gender equality but toward a stronger, more dynamic future.
The 1851 Trust is reimagining what STEM education can look like, for all young people with a focus on underrepresented groups, including young girls. One of their standout initiatives is the STEM Crew Live Roadshows, an exciting travelling platform designed to make STEM learning engaging and accessible to young minds. These roadshows provide an environment where STEM feels cool, experimental, and achievable. Girls (and boys) can tinker, problem-solve, and discover the magic of engineering and design through meaningful, practical applications all through the lens of high-performance sports like mine, Sailing. The 1851 Trust links STEM lessons to one of the most exciting industries—sports. By introducing exciting STEM career opportunities within elite sports, such as engineering roles in sailing, they show girls that their math and science skills can lead directly to exciting, impactful careers.
The Athena Pathway Programme is shattering glass ceilings by creating opportunities for women in sailing, providing women with mentorship both on and off the water. By connecting elite athletes and STEM educated roles with career development, the programme ensures that sailing isn’t just for the privileged few, it’s an open arena for determined, talented women to excel at the highest levels. Reaching the final of the Women’s America’s cup last year was amazing, I was so proud of the whole team; it was an intense period of time with an incredible group of females stepping into some really amazing roles onboard the race boat and on shore from systems to engineering and data analytics. These events don’t just demonstrate the capability of women in sailing but serve as a beacon for young girls dreaming of careers on the water or in the supporting roles that make such achievements possible.
The question isn’t whether women belong in STEM and sports. It’s how quickly we can create the systems, opportunities, and conversations that bring them fully into the fold. My experience within sports teams such as Emirates GBR and Athena Racing show how mixed environments where men and women are learning from each other are critical to making progress.
So, what does the future look like? I hope it is one where once-peripheral voices are now leading at the table, where industries flourish because decisions are informed by a diversity of perspectives. It’s not about fixing the system for women; it’s about co-creating spaces where everyone, regardless of gender, thrive and investing in role models, fostering inclusive environments, and making STEM and sports exciting. Programmes like the 1851 Trust and Athena Pathway are already proving what’s possible when this vision is put into action, and I am excited about the possibilities for the next generation of female innovators and athletes.
*Source -Institute of Engineering and Technology 2024 report
** source: UK Gov
1851 Trust Guest Blogger – Hannah Mills OBE