Women and Girls are in Science!

On 22 December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly accepted the 11th of February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to support the women and girls in science and to give the needed support about the subject.

Women coming to the forefront with science has become a supported subject and gained importance with social media and concepts of gender equality. Girls being kept away from science as a result of sexist thoughts is still subject to be careful about. The perception of seeing science as a man field is, in fact, an outcome of this thought. However, many female scientists stand out in science, set an example for next-generation girls and inspire them. Their visibility is getting bigger with each passing day, and thus the number of people they reach to too.

Women who bring science wherever they go…

Throughout history, the need to support women and girls in science has resulted from many different reasons. Women who have been discriminated against sometimes because of racism, sometimes of their gender and sometimes of them both were not supported in their passion for science for a long time. Moreover, they have been restrained and discouraged. Nevertheless thanks to the women who do science for science against all the odds, there are many examples to be hopeful today and on the days to come. One of these examples is Maria Montessori who is both a doctor, scientist and a pioneer in education. Montessori, the first female doctor of Italy, developed her teaching approach that is used in thousands of school worldwide today, in a school where she was sent because she was a woman and thought she couldn’t have much effect there. However, she chose to use every opportunity she had and layed the foundations of her education approach by observing the children at this school. Years later, what we see is inspiring: Montessori proved the relationship between a scientist and her/his environment and the effect the scientist has on it- moreover showed that this effect is present regardless of place.

-The power of education is in the magnitude of our dreams –

Today, many female scientists working in different fields are doing scientific studies exemplarily for the oncoming generation and succeed. For instance Özlem Türeci who carries out studies about cancer cells for many years. Türeci has founded GANYMED Pharmaceuticals AG in Germany and carries out her duty as chief physician to this day. (1)

Another example is professor doctor Serap Aksoy who got the Connecticut Female Leadership Award in 2017 and carries out her studies in the field of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases. Aksoy studies, especially on diseases, originated from flies that affect people in Africa. (2)

– Excluding women and girls in science is to leave the science and progress incomplete –

Canan Dağdeviren who is the first Turkish scientist to be selected as a Harvard University Young Academy member is another scientist to nurture and effect girls’ passion for science with her accomplishments.

Dağdeviren has deemed worthy of the grand prize by the International Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs Association in ‘’Medical Innovation’’ by inventing ” the wearable pacemaker”. (3)

As female scientists, we mentioned above, many scientists are making an effort for science every single day and leaving equal conditions for the next generations. In a world where genders don’t divide, the science is surely going to advance and we are going to reach the solutions to problems we face faster with various solutions.