Women need to push for recognition - science head
WOMEN remain under-represented in scientific professions, but that is slowly starting to change, according to Dr Karen Marshall, head of science at The Ladies’ College.
She was commenting as the world marked The International Day of Women and Girls in Science yesterday.
She said it was important girls were encouraged to engage with the subject.
‘As a girls’ school, we see the International Day of Women and Girls in Science as a very important day for us because women in science are simply under-represented,’ she said.
Just 33% of research scientists were women, and in some subject areas this went down to single figures, she said.
‘We should be encouraging women into science – there is a stigma in society. It’s slowly beginning to change.’
Dr Marshall said Ladies’ College girls who chose to take science subjects at A-level often went on to have careers relating to that subject.
‘People who do science generally go through to do scientific careers,’ she said.
‘We’ve got girls going into engineering, there has been an increase in people doing marine biology, there are medics, vets, and a dentist this year – we’ve never had a dentist before.’
The international day calls for full, equal access and participation for women and girls in science.
‘There are women out there but they are not being highlighted,’ Dr Marshall said.
‘Women in science are just not recognised for what they do – it’s something we really need to push for.’
She said only 2.4% of science Nobel Prize winners had been women, but the L’Oreal-Unesco For Women in Science International Awards had recognised the work of a number of female scientists.
‘The diversity of women was amazing – they’re out there but nobody knows them.’
Students at The Ladies’ College have opportunities to join clubs and delve deeper into topics which interest them by conducting their own research projects, and Dr Marshall said these were backed by the Institute for Research in Schools, Iris.
‘Everything we’re doing is based off sound scientific principles,’ she said.
‘In doing that, we have had national success in projects the girls are doing.’
The science department’s philosophy was to build confidence and teach students sound scientific principles.
