Women And Girls In Science: For An Equal Future
Sometimes we have to look back at the mistakes we have made and plan for a better future. However, in our efforts to build a future with more potential, prosperity and progress, there is one aspect that needs to be taken into account: women and girls in science. Until recently, this area has been largely male-dominated, but today we have already taken small steps to achieve authentic equality.
If we were to ask any child right now to draw a person working in the sciences, most of them would get the same picture in their heads. An older man, in a white jacket, very much reminiscent of a Doc researcher from the movie Back to the Future . Similarly, if we asked any person to name a woman who has dedicated her life to science, few could give the names of female scientists other than Marie Curie.
Scientists like Rita Levi-Montalcini, Lise Meintner, Sophie Germain or Marie Anne Pierrette-Paulze are often forgotten. This is perhaps because names like Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Nicola Tesla, or Louis Pasteur have completely taken over this ball of great scientists, where men have always had greater opportunities, greater status, and greater prestige.
Does this mean that the number of women dedicated to science has been so small throughout history? Not at all. The problem has been that all female scientists have always been overshadowed by men. An example of this is undoubtedly Mileva Einstein, the first wife of Albert Einstein.
Many called her an old witch because she was exceptionally ingenious in her mind. And as biographers have found out, Mileva was a central piece of the theory of relativity formulated by Einstein, and this theory, as we well know today, brought the man the Nobel Prize.
Women and girls in science: an aspect we need to take into account
Every year on February 11, a day is celebrated that remembers women and girls in the disciplines. On the basis of the UN, it was declared that one of the main goals for the next 15 years is precisely to end gender inequality in this profession.
Science, technology, engineering, mathematics… The presence of women in these fields has been increasing for some time, and in itself the knowledge it brings is good. However, there are still crucial factors for this future of equality. We will next analyze these aspects in depth.
The weight of gender-related prejudices
According to several UNESCO reports, in less than 30% of cases, female staff are responsible for the conduct of scientific research. At the same time, the number of female students enrolled in fields such as information and communication technology (ICT) reaches only 3%. On the other hand, however, in fields such as science, statistics, mathematics or technology, the same figure is just over eight per cent.
Don’t women have the skills to dedicate themselves to these disciplines? Of course they have. But there is a small problem with this aspect. In order to truly include women and girls in the sciences, it is essential to first remove all gender bias. Today, for example, children as young as 6- and 7-year-olds unknowingly internalize which jobs are “for boys and which for girls”.
Aviation engineers, mathematicians and even university professors are always seen as male figures in the eyes of the smallest. These, in turn, are systems defined by prejudice, which need to be corrected from an early age in order to increase equal opportunities for both girls and boys. Such corrections could include, for example, promoting the scientific profession of girls and arousing their interest in these areas, which would undoubtedly create an encouraging change that will also be seen in the future.
Why do women not have positions of responsibility in science?
This is an indisputable fact. As we progress on the scale of professional development, women represent a clearly smaller proportion of men in decision-making, responsibility, and leadership roles. So what is the reason for this? In general, the failure can be attributed to the failure of policies to promote equality. The male researcher is still seen as more qualified, and in addition, the situation is complicated by another worrying factor.
Reconciling motherhood and career is one of the biggest difficulties for female researchers. They are often seen as unable to get a promotion with greater responsibility because there is not enough support available to reconcile motherhood and career.
On the other hand, there is a third factor that should be emphasized. It is the “Matilda Effect” created in 1993 by historian Margaret W. Rossiter. The Matilda effect is a phenomenon in which workplaces tend to underestimate women’s work for men. According to Rossiter, this is a phenomenon that happens too often.
Whatever step or discovery a woman makes is overshadowed or worse, her discovery is passed on to a male researcher who takes all the credit for the work done. In this way, the female researcher is expelled into the “ostracism,” leaving her without funding, without the opportunity to publish her research or get the promotions she deserves.
Women and girls in science: a future full of hope
Let’s teach girls that they can be exactly what they want. Let us open to them the vast world of the cosmos, the smallest universe of genetics, the incredible dimension of technology, and the opportunities that all of these disciplines hold for advancement and the future. For the participation of women and girls in science to be real, we need two main factors: education and opportunities.
Every boy and girl, regardless of their situation or country of origin, should be able to apply for and access exactly the studies that interest them most. This is because passion creates progress and it is the real interest in one’s own field that will return to society so that it can move forward. If we educate girls and boys equally and if we offer everyone real ways to develop fully in their work without prejudice and obstacles, we will all win.
