The Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) has been working on empowering women in science through education, employment and recognition since the 1960s. Through partnering with the United Nations on several initiatives, the Trust has brought an international recognition to women and girls in science, and in 2015 the 11th of February was proclaimed the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day focuses on promoting and sustaining the involvement of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths, areas in which they have been historically and sometimes culturally under-represented as a gender. Activities take place at a global level to encourage participation of girls, highlighting the pioneering work of women role models in the area and overturn stereotypes.
Here at Ealing Independent College we wanted to support the efforts of RASIT and UN and decided to participate in the celebrations this February. The theme for this year was “Equality and Parity in Science for Peace and Development”, and our Head of Physics, Ashkan Ajeer, asked students studying science at the College, both boys and girls, to write a short piece relating to gender equality and women in science. This allowed them to reflect on the topic and conduct research into some of the significant contributions women such as Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin and Lise Meitner have made to science and the world.
We received some great pieces, and in the end two winners were announced in the assembly on Wednesday 21 February by Principal Dr Ian Moores. Zaineb (Y11) wrote an excellent piece on the contributions women have made to science over the years, whilst Fabien (Y10) focused on the wider issue of gender imbalance in science as well as other industries. They were awarded the book “Women and Girls in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World” and vouchers from Amazon to further research and educate themselves on the topic.