August 26th — Women’s Equality Day — celebrates the 19th Amendment of the Constitution, which bestowed women the right to vote. Certified on August 26, 1920, by the U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby, this amendment expanded the electorate and finally gave women an equal voice in political and societal issues.
This historic occasion and subsequent events have shown a spotlight on the challenges that women face. From the Me Too movement to greater awareness of gender bias in the workplace, we have come a long way from just a few decades ago. Yet, we all know that more work still needs to be done. In the USA, women make up roughly 28% of positions in STEM [1], with women of color being especially underrepresented. Here are a few resources to learn about the challenges of gender bias in the sciences. If we keep working towards gender equality and empowering women to enter and stay in STEM, the sciences will be the better for it.
1. Picture a Scientist
– Documentary chronicling the experiences of female scientists and their struggles with discrimination.
– A 2020 Tribeca Film festival selection
– Available on Nova
2. National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)
– Facilitates mentorship opportunities for undergrads, grad students, and science professionals
– Provides training for preventing unconscious bias & discrimination
3. Stem Study- Women & Minorities in STEM
– Contains a list of professional networking groups
– Details advocacy & mentorship organizations
4. Women in Bio
– A multi-chapter professional organization promoting diversity and inclusion for women in the life sciences
– Educations and resources for mentoring and entrepreneurship
– Scholarship opportunities
5. Informa Connect Life Sciences Report
– The take of 483 life sciences professionals about how diverse and inclusive they feel their industry is.
See how the Women of Mission Bio are supporting each other in last week’s blog.
References
- https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/the-stem-gap/
