Day 86/100
The UN General Assembly through a resolution in 2015 recognized 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Women play a pioneering role in every aspect and science is one of them. But many a times, their role and contribution is overlooked. In earlier times, many women researchers were overlooked and their male research partners were awarded the Nobel Prize instead for their contribution. Of course, times have changed and we are living in a time when equality and equal opportunity is given utmost priority. Women are leaving no stone unturned and are chartering territories that were predominantly occupied by men for centuries.
Why was there a need to adopt a day for women and their contribution in science? This is to honour those women who have worked beyond their limits, left their homes to work with men when it was not encouraged, encountered bias and discrimination to prove their worth. These were during times when people were not sitting at homes and watching events unfurl on their mobile screens. A day like this is also meant to motivate young girls to dream big and reach for the stars. According to findings only 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women. Globally, fewer students opt for ICT, natural science, statistics, mathematics, engineering and construction. This trend has to change. Facilities have to be provided and environment has to be made conducive for more and more women to opt for sciences and make a difference to the world around them. Though much has changed from earlier times, we still have a long way to go. Biases and discrimination against women persists still which doesn’t allow many women to come to the forefront.
A day like this is meant to educate and empower those around us. We must draw inspiration from the past and inspire our girls in whose hands lie the future. It’s not enough to have a day for women scientists in the calender alone; we need to celebrate it and encourage more women to smash stereotypes. To make this effective, we must educate our girls to think differently.
How many of you knew of such a day in the calendar?
