Our Privacy Policy: How We Protect Our Community of Girls in STEM

We know that privacy matters deeply to our team and to every young person, parent, and educator who visits our site. When you read interviews with inspiring women in engineering or explore our resources for girls in STEM, you are placing your trust in us. This policy is our commitment to honouring that trust, explaining clearly how we collect, use, and protect your information under the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

Information We Collect

We only gather data that helps us support and grow our community of aspiring women in engineering. This includes information you voluntarily share and some technical data collected automatically when you browse our blog.

Personal details you share with us

When you sign up for our newsletter, enter a competition, or contact us about STEM for girls resources, you may provide details such as your name and email address. For email subscriptions we use Mailchimp, a trusted platform that processes your data securely in line with UK GDPR standards. You can unsubscribe at any time, and we will never sell or rent your personal information to anyone.

Automatically collected technical data

Like most websites, our WordPress blog collects certain information automatically when you visit. This includes your IP address, browser type, device information, and how you navigate our pages. This data helps us understand how our role model interviews and girls in STEM content are being accessed, allowing us to improve your experience.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small files stored on your device that help websites function properly and provide insights into how content is used. We use the CookieYes consent management platform to give you full control over which cookies are set during your visit.

Strictly necessary cookies

These essential cookies enable core functionality such as page navigation and access to secure areas of our website. Without them, our blog cannot operate properly, and they are always active when you visit. They do not store any personally identifiable information.

Analytics and preference cookies

With your consent, we use analytics cookies to measure how readers engage with our articles on women in engineering and other STEM for girls topics. Preference cookies remember choices you make, such as your cookie consent settings, to streamline future visits. You can adjust your preferences at any time through the CookieYes banner on our site.

Analytics and Performance Monitoring

To ensure our content reaches and inspires as many girls in STEM as possible, we need to understand how our site performs. We use Google Analytics 4 to gather anonymised insights while protecting your privacy.

How we measure engagement

Google Analytics 4 tracks metrics like page views, time spent on articles, and general geographic location. Crucially, we have configured this tool to use anonymised IP addresses, meaning your full IP is never stored or processed. This allows us to spot trends, such as which role model interviews resonate most, without identifying individual users.

Data sharing within analytics platforms

The anonymised data collected by Google Analytics 4 is processed on Google’s servers and is subject to their own privacy policies. We do not share any personally identifiable information with Google, and the aggregated reports we see never reveal who you are.

Third-Party Services and Embedded Content

Our blog sometimes includes embedded content from other platforms or links to external organisations that support STEM for girls. It is important to understand that these services operate independently from us.

Video and social media embeds

We frequently embed YouTube videos featuring women in engineering sharing their career journeys. When you play an embedded video, YouTube may collect data about your interaction, set its own cookies, and track your viewing behaviour according to its privacy policy. We recommend reviewing YouTube’s terms if you have concerns about how your data is handled.

External resource links

We link to trusted partners such as STEM Learning UK to connect you with further opportunities. Clicking these links takes you to websites outside our control, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies to understand how they manage your information. We are not responsible for the content or practices of third-party sites.

Your Data Protection Rights Under UK GDPR

Under the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation, you have strong rights regarding your personal data. These are enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and we are fully committed to upholding them for every member of our community.

Accessing your personal information

You have the right to request a copy of any personal data we hold about you. This is known as a subject access request, and we will respond within one month of receiving your request, providing the information in a clear, commonly used format.

Withdrawing consent and erasure

Where we rely on your consent to process data, such as for newsletter subscriptions, you can withdraw that consent at any time. You also have the right to request that we erase your personal data, and we will comply unless we have a legal obligation to retain it. To exercise any of these rights, simply contact us using the details below.

How Long We Keep Your Data

We do not hold onto your information indefinitely. Our retention schedules are designed to balance the needs of our girls in STEM community with our legal obligations and operational requirements.

Retention periods by data type

Competition entries are kept for six months after the closing date to allow for prize fulfilment and then securely deleted. Newsletter subscription data, including your email address and consent record, is retained indefinitely until you unsubscribe, after which it is promptly removed from Mailchimp. Automatically collected analytics data is anonymised and aggregated, so it does not identify individuals and is retained for standard reporting periods within Google Analytics 4.

Our secure deletion practices

When data reaches the end of its retention period, we use secure deletion methods to ensure it cannot be recovered. This applies to both digital records and any paper documentation we might hold, though we minimise physical records wherever possible.

How to Contact Our Team

We welcome your questions, concerns, and requests about privacy. Our small but dedicated team is here to help you feel confident and informed about how your data is handled.

Email and postal contact details

For all privacy-related matters, including subject access requests or withdrawal of consent, please email [email protected]. If you prefer written correspondence or need to reach our official UK representative, you can write to our physical contact address, which we will provide upon email request to maintain security and accuracy.

Response time expectations

We aim to acknowledge all privacy enquiries within two working days and provide a full response within one month, in line with UK GDPR timelines. If a request is complex, we may extend this by a further two months, but we will always keep you informed of progress.

Building a supportive environment for girls in STEM requires a foundation of transparency and trust. We are passionate about connecting young people with role models in women in engineering, and we know that protecting your privacy is a vital part of that mission. If we ever make changes to this policy, we will update this page and notify our community directly through our usual channels. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.