Making Science and Technology Attractive to Girls
Moderator: Ms. María Luz Melon, Vice-Chair of the Commission (Argentina)
Points:
- Sesae Mpuchane - can women really do science and technology. Women were doing science, in their lives. Excelled in science - yet realize gender gap, world wide gap. Biological differences - NO - no scientific evidence has been given. Legislation may not be supportive, school curriculum, lack of role models. Girls come to school with out the confidence. Concern in Botswana when girls go to their high school. Need to educate them - to deal with the "leaking pipeline". International bodies, private sector, - but need to look at national level - look at families. Science fairs, and field trips. So girls can be exposed to science. Look at mass media. Curriculum - needs to be inclusive - fund girls education and research girls interested in. Career - have job shadowing programs - inspire them, and give them self confidence. Glad ceiling is the cast iron ceiling.
- Observation of women in science obtaining employment - researchers - showed a scissors diagram - more women in low level, but as go up, fewer women. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) - Electrical engineers - even fewer women. Less than 10% of IEEE members are women.
- Main problem within STEM is Engineering. Why so few in egineering? Retention of women scientists and engineers will increase. Women go into a professional that will directly benefit societies or individuals. Since the green revolution - more aware of environment. Technology will attract women - affect of cell phones on human condition. Recognition of women scientists and engineers wil improve. More and more business leaders realize that gender diversitgy yields a competitive advantage.
Ms. Londa Schiebinger,
Three areas of concern - women's access to development of and ability to benefit;
primary education and way scientists are shown - all male; gender analysis into Science and Technology - Funding agencies require gender analysis into basic research.Whis is it important to mainstream gender analysis. Economic development benefits. Using gender analysis puts women into things like knowledge about planst and preserving biodiversity.
Barefoot College runs entirely on solar energy. Went to Africa - unacceptable use of energy - 2004-2010 - solar electrified many houses. Found Men were Untrainable!! Best solution - training grandmothers. Trained 150 grandmothers in 28 countries in Africa. All the grandmothers were illiterate. Learned thru sight and sound. Solar electrification. Soft ware looked after by government of India. Implementing MDGs with so much money - 2 million dollars - could be used to electrify so many homes - that has a huge benefit. Maternal health, education etc. Video - Timbuctu - example of a small village which was dependent on kerosene lights - grandmother - barefoot college solar workshop - never say they could not do it. Went back to Mali - electrify their own village. First village to be solar electrified 7 to 10 days for 2 illiterate grandmothers to electrify their whole village. Difference, women can cook and make crafts at night, children can do lessons, save $10.00 a month from not purchasing fuel. The impossible is possible.
Ms. Anne Miroux
Mainstreaming gender into Science Technology and Innovation Progress but policy needs more work. Science for women - Women in Science -role of women in innovation systems - businesses and enterprises. Science to promote women's development and livelihood activivties. Focus on agriculture, water and sanitation, and energy. Need proactive policies! Why is that we need policies? Inspite of economic role they play - because of lack of women in education and leadership roles. Women need to be involved to adapt STI to their needs. Key characteristics of gender affirmative policy - coherence with other policy areas (integrated) ; evidence based; Need political will - three key words assess understand apply.
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