3 Takeaways From the International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly
Dominican Academy’s AP Biology class celebrating February 12 at the UN!
“We celebrate the achievements of women, known and unknown, remembered and forgotten, who have forged the way for those of us in science today, and to give an opportunity for children: girls and boys, to choose role models in science.”
Five years ago, Dr. Nisreen led the UN General Assembly in proclaiming February 11th as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
This year, our AP Biology class had the chance to attend the assembly! This was only thanks to our teacher, Dr. Serpagli, who co-wrote a chapter in the book February 11: Women & Girls in Science for Socio-Economic Sustainable Development. It was recently published in celebration of the International Day and is written by girls in science!
(And my teacher is one of them. #BossLadies.)
What the Day Looked Like
Disclaimer: We took a lot of photos.
After waiting outside, we walked inside the UN, having no idea what to expect. We first went into the iconic General Assembly hall where all the discussions take place. Not going to lie, it kind of blew my mind to see it in person.
After taking many photos, the event finally started! There were many speakers, including Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, the eldest daughter of Malcolm X, H.E. Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, the cofounder of WIRED Ms. Jane Metcalfe, the CEO of NuMedii Dr. Gini Deshpande, and so many more!
Here’s the full agenda listing all the speakers. There were many, but here are my main takeaways from listening to everyone!
Key Takeaways
1. Diversity is more than having a 50–50 gender ratio.
“We should not confuse equity with statistical quotas.”
— Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, Director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute
Personally, this was one of my most impactful takeaways. We’re always told about the gender gap, and trust me, it’s bad. Of people working in computer technology, only 25% are females.
That’s why there are so many different institutions, programs, and events like this to celebrate women in science! It’s a great way to give them access to resources, provide support for their careers, and slowly increase the number of girls in STEM.
But at one point or another, we forget why we’re doing it as we just continually seek to achieve this ratio.
Women are being recognized not just because they’re women. Not just because they’re the minority. And they definitely shouldn’t be hired solely because of their gender. Women have to be recognized for their abilities and accomplishments.
“50% quota is insulting to any woman of ability.”
— Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite
As important as the quota is, there is no sense in reaching it if we continue to diminish the achievements of women. This is a distinction that all entrepreneurs interested in promoting gender diversity must be aware of.
2. Many women enter the STEM field and end up leaving due to a lack of funding and support.
“There could be a woman with a solution to our problems, but she is sitting somewhere with her solution in her mind because she is not supported and not funded.”
— Angelique Johnson, CEO of MEMstin
There’s more to the diversity gap than a lack of representation. Many females do enter the field, but a majority of them end up leaving.
This is a result of a lack of support and funding by the industry. Women actually start businesses at about twice the rate of men. Moreover, eight out of ten of them are women of color. Yet, only 0.2% of women of color get venture capital. Clearly, it’s no wonder that many of them leave the industry later on.
If only these women received sufficient support and funding for their ideas. It would promote retention and give women more access to actually put their ideas into motion. Only then can we see more female entrepreneurs and leaders in the field.
3. There is a massive community here to support girls and women in science.
There was a plethora of speakers and professionals that we heard from and met that day. Simply put, many of them were saying the same message — they are doing things to increase representation and they will continue to help the cause. They’re starting organizations, hiring more females, promoting awareness, etc.
As a girl in STEM, it astounded me to hear it from that many people, especially from some of the world’s global leaders and entrepreneurs. Miss America herself told us her story and how much she supports our future. It’s incredible hearing it in person, and it’s something that’ll definitely stick with me in the future.
My Closing Thoughts
“The greatest poverty is ignorance and the greatest wealth is education and knowledge.”
— Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite
It’s a clear fact that women, especially women of color, are underrepresented in the STEM field. This makes many people, including myself, a minority.
Yet, no matter what your gender and race are, we are all global citizens. And that makes us the majority of society. We all have the responsibility to bridge the gender gap and ensure that women have a seat at the table.
Massive thank you to our teacher, Dr. Lauren Serpagli, for giving us this opportunity! And of course, thank you to the UN, Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, and Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier for their support. It was an unforgettable experience!
TL;DR
- We got to hear from many inspiring people, including the Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, the eldest daughter of Malcolm X, H.E. Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, and so much more!
- Closing the diversity gap involves more than meeting the 50–50 gender quota. It’s about recognizing women’s unique talents and perspectives as scientists and human beings.
- A majority of women don’t get support or funding, increasing their likelihood of leaving the industry. Accessibility and retention are both key factors in bridging the gap.
- If you’re a female in STEM, you’re not alone. There are many people, both women and men, across the globe who want to support you! We are constantly celebrating women’s accomplishments every single day and are here to help.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow me on Medium, LinkedIn, or shoot me an email to hear more. And keep up with our AP Biology class by following @serpagsbio on Instagram! Until next time…
Email: alexiswang55@gmail.com
