The global community has made numerous effort in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science as according to the UNESCO Science Report, women only account for 33% of the world’s researchers. They still occupy fewer senior positions than men at top universities, and only 12% of the members of the national science academies are women. To date, women and girls have only won 23 of the 631 Nobel Prizes in science and are still a minority in science-related studies and fields. To tackle this challenge, “Improving the future of women in STEM will take a collective effort from teachers, students, professors and industry leaders. Each individual can take multiple steps to help the movement towards gender equality. All you have to do is assess ways in your life that you can further the fight for STEM females” (Karen Matthews, 2020). This year, the Faculty therefore continues to support females in science through acknowledging  the International Day for Women and Girls in Science by hosting the ‘Science Bridges: Building Connections for Equality in Science, Through Mentorship and Advocacy’ regional public seminar,  Mentorship Lyme and the Launch of the ‘Walking in Her Footsteps’ mentorship programme on February 11, 2022. These initiatives saw Caribbean institutions  collaborating with  United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), The World Academy of Science (TWAS), Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and The Elsevier Foundation to create a common and accessible platform where aspiring girls and women in science are afforded additional opportunities for  mentorship and networking with the following objectives in mind:  To expose young women to various opportunities for careers in STEM, to inspire the next generation of female leaders in STEM through the sharing of experiences and practical advice with career development, to build a deeper understanding of the work/life balance for women in STEM, to build pride and confidence in girls who chose STEM careers and to provide networking opportunities and build bridges for connecting women and girls in STEM. The Faculty hopes that through these activities, we will increase representation, awareness and opportunities for women and girls in STEM as they play a vital role to the achievement of agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The Faculty salutes all girls and women is STEM!

Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/women-and-girls-in-science-day