February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. As a self-proclaimed science nerd, this is an exciting day for me! This day has only been celebrated since 2015, when the United Nations noted that, although women have a higher rate of getting an undergraduate degree than men, they earn those degrees in STEM areas at half the rate of men. So, today is a day to recognize and celebrate current and past women in science, and more importantly, encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM.
Why women in science?
Honestly, for me the best answer for this is…why not? If there is a passion for science, it should be encouraged. The idea of male jobs (like math and sciences) and female jobs (like health care) is extremely outdated. The focus on this day is women, because they have been underrepresented in these fields, but the UN chief summed it up perfectly, “greater diversity fosters greater innovation”. We are missing out on so many experiences and ideas when girls are not encouraged to pursue careers in science.
Important women in science
I hate to leave you hanging, but I am just way too excited about this and I don’t want to make a kind of long blog post even longer. Check out this post highlighting some Awesome Women in Science!
How can we get more women in science?
We need to start young! Studies have shown that by a young age, many girls have already decided that math is too hard, or science is not a potential career path for them. Usually this is because of outdated stereotypes. So, what can be done?
- If your daughter, granddaughter, neighbor, friend, or whoever, shows in interest in math and science…encourage it! Don’t perpetuate the idea that those classes are for boys, or that they are too hard. Foster that love!
- We need more female role models. There are far fewer examples of women and girls in the sciences in books, tv shows, and the media.
- More STEM programs in schools, especially targeting girls.
Obviously, some of these are easier than others. And there are more things that can be done. But
My plan for “When I Grow Up“
Like I mentioned earlier, I am a science nerd, and proud of it. I was lucky enough to have a great group of nerdy friends and (not so nerdy) parents who supported me in my nerdiness. I know not everyone has that, though. So, a big part of my goal for my When I Grow Up series is to have all the main characters be girls. Each book will explore a different STEM career, each one full of fun facts, a little bit of silliness (who can actually be a dinosaur when they grow up??), and a smart, determined girl. It’s my small way of adding to the representation of girls in science in children’s books. If I can inspire just one girl to not shy away from her love of science as she gets older, that would be a huge win.
Some shows and books I’ve found with girls in science
Here are just a few that I came up with off the top of my head. Comment with others you know, I’d love to check them out!
- Ridley Jones (when we watch this at my house, it is more for my sake than my kids’)
- Emma Ren books by Jenny Lu (shout out to another indie author with female role models in science!)
- Ada Twist, Scientist (the books and the TV series)
- Hidden Figures (a great movie for the whole family!)