INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE
Every year on February 11th, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science seeks to promote full and equal access for women and girls to participate in science. It’s also a day to recognize the role that women and girls play in science and technology.
Only 35 percent of all students enrolled in fields pertaining to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are women. Recent studies also show that women in these fields are usually paid less than men. Even though there may not be as many women in science and technology, their discoveries and research is just as important. Take a look at the following women who have rocked the STEM world:
- Tiera Guinn – this young scientist from MIT is an aerospace major who is helping to build a rocket for NASA.
- Marie Curie – this physicist and chemist was the head of the physics lab at a European University who went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1903 with her husband.
- Elizabeth Blackwell – in 1849, she was the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States.
- Mae C. Jemison – She was a medical doctor and astronaut, who in 1992, became the first African American woman in space.
- Gertrude Elion – Born in 1918, she was a Nobel winner who developed drugs to treat leukemia and prevent kidney transplant rejection.
HOW TO OBSERVE #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience
Many organizations around the world take part in this day. Some of these organizations include the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen), and the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).
To Participate:
- Learn more about the barriers women and girls face when it comes to science and technology training and education.
- Research other famous women in science and technology.
- Ask girls that you know if they would consider pursuing a career in science and technology.
- Think about what the world would be like if there were more women in this field.
Share the day on social media with #WomenInScience
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE HISTORY
In March of 2011, the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women concluded that women and girls around the world needed more access to education and training in science and technology. Women and girls also needed equal access to gaining employment in these fields. On December 20, 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognized these findings. On December 22, 2015, the UN proclaimed February 11th as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
