Women do it all: including science. So why not celebrate it?
Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science – where the world honours the amazing contributions made by female scientists and fights for their equal representation in STEM.
The United Nations will be holding a virtual conference to celebrate females in science, with the 2021 theme focusing on female frontline workers and their critical role in the fight against Covid-19.
The world needs science, and science needs women. @UN_Women explains why on Thursday's #WomenInScience Day: https://t.co/fcvDidjBrR pic.twitter.com/DyDCFcrN32
— United Nations (@UN) February 10, 2021
Social media is also being used as a tool to honor these female scientists and to educate others on their massive, historical achievements: #WomenInStem and #WomenInScienceDay have been trending globally on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, with a myriad of brands and individuals posting the hashtag to show their support.
In collaboration with @EduMinOfIndia and support from @mygovindia, we laud our young girls from across the country who have performed well in the subjects of Maths and Science & encourage these STEM STARS to make us proud in days to come. #WomenInScience https://t.co/CmVRi1l5n2
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) February 11, 2021
Gender equality in science is also a hot topic – with those on [and off] social media uniting together to tear down long-standing gender biases that exclude women and girls from STEM-related fields.
According to the UN and UNESCO data, less than 30 per cent of researchers worldwide are women and only 30 percent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education.
In terms of gender stereotypes, the 2015 Gender Bias Without Borders study by the Geena Davis Institute showed that of the onscreen characters with an identifiable STEM job, only 12 per cent were women.
In short – in order to achieve true gender equality in science – we as a society must celebrate and support females in STEM more than one day a year. Those with a platform on social media are encouraged to speak up and celebrate the achievements of women – not just in science – but in all that they do.