The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed each year on February 11th by the United Nations to encourage the involvement of girls and women in the science fields.
The 6th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly will be held virtually at the United Nations Headquarters. This year’s theme will be “Women Scientists At the Forefront of the Fight Against COVID-19.” The event will gather together experts working in fields related to the pandemic from different parts of the world.
According to UNESCO data, only around 30 percent of all female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Across the globe, enrollment of female students is lower in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics as compared to men. Due to gender biases and lack of representation, women are often unable to navigate their way into the field.
In honor of the day, we’d like to share a few examples of nationwide organizations that recognize young girls and women in STEM. These organizations are helping provide resources and mentorship for girls and women with interest in pursuing careers in STEM.
The Perry Initiative in building the pipeline for women in engineering and medicine. The organization is compiled of various programs, including a one-day career exploration program for young women in high school interested in careers in surgery or engineering. These day-long programs are held at over 45 locations nationwide throughout the year. Participants perform mock orthopedic surgeries and conduct biomechanical engineering experiments, while also hearing from prominent women engineers and surgeons.
Girls Who Code is on a mission to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. Featuring programs that range from summer camps to elementary school clubs, Girls Who Code is reaching girls around the world and are on track to close the gender gap in new entry-level tech jobs by 2027. Since it’s start in 2012, Girls Who Code has created 8,500 programs worldwide and reached over 300,000 girls through their in-person programming.
The Independent Fund for Women in Tech aims to help and empower women in technology and security, by providing assistance with entry tickets to conferences, and possible travel support. Having young women attend conferences is not only about getting access to talks and staying up to date with top notch research, but gives women community and networking opportunities.
National Center For Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)
NCWIT is revolutionizing the face of technology. As a non-profit community, NCWIT unites organizations to increase the influential and meaningful participation of girls and women at the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, age, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability status. While NCWIT has created programs for girls and young women interested in STEM, they also provide free, online research-based resources to help leaders implement change, raise awareness, and reach out to critical populations.
In order to achieve full and equal access to science-related resources for women and girls, these organizations and many others are determined to make a change.
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