The equality through science
- Chiara Marturano
- Feb 11, 2024
- 3 min read
February 11th, International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Do you know who Maria Skłodowska was?
She was a Polish girl passionate about science. Her family was poor, and in Poland, women didn't have access to higher education. Maria's sister believed so much in her that she helped her move to Paris to study Physics. She was so exceptional that she managed to study in Poland as well, earning a degree in Mathematics.
I can imagine this young woman, deciding to move abroad to do something her peers couldn't. I imagine her crossing the threshold of the Université, surrounded by men who looked at her strangely. I imagine that spark that kept her going even when she felt lost.
Maria met Pierre Curie and became Marie Curie. Yet, the determined, courageous, and brilliant Maria Skłodowska remained at her core.
Above, there's the famous photo where M. Curie and A. Einstein appear alongside other famous scientists. It was the year 1927.
Nearly 100 years have passed. And the gender gap in science has certainly decreased.
However.
However, in Italy, according to the Stem Observatory by Deloitte, Italian girls enrolled in Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degree courses are only 14.5% of those attending university, well below the European average. This means fewer women will enter the scientific and technological workforce.
Women are underrepresented in leadership positions in academia and industry in the scientific sector, and there are still gender pay gaps and representation disparities in advanced scientific careers.
WHAT IS MISSING?"
According to the study by Save the Children, the gap is fueled by (quoting the study's conclusions):
the lack of cultural and economic support from the family that allows them to pursue studies or careers in these fields;
the lack of self-esteem (the fear of "not meeting standards" and, in the case of girls, "not feeling adequate") and motivation ("the difficulty in committing to long-term goals" and "inadequacy regarding digital tools");
insufficient access to technology, which makes boys, and especially girls, less confident in their abilities to use digital tools.
There are still too many prejudices regarding the intellectual capabilities of females, at any age. This feeds into the impostor syndrome, which, surprisingly, is more widespread among women than among men. The impostor syndrome is that voice inside you that tells you that you're not good enough, it's when you think "they'll find me out now!".
Examples are missing, and women in top roles in STEM fields are heroes, alone at the top and, in newspaper headlines, they are all women and mothers, without a last name.
Do you know what the Scully Effect is?
Scully was the female agent in X-Files, a science fiction television series from the 1990s, portrayed by the talented Gillian Anderson.
According to research, there is a correlation between women who are familiar with and have watched X-Files and their career paths. About two-thirds of the surveyed women working in scientific fields consider the character of Dana Scully to be a role model; it would even be more likely for a woman who has watched X-Files to pursue studies in scientific fields.
The example of something unprecedented opens up possibilities and broadens horizons.
So do all women who protect their spark, despite prejudices and a world that would always contain them according to narrow standards; they nourish it and transform it into a blazing fire of determination and success.
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