Editor: Aleena Khan
One of the reasons I find myself so driven to continue pursuing my goals has been the fact that society is finally starting to recognize more women entering academic fields. I think that in the past, there has been a lack of representation of women in academics in the media. Believe it or not, countless women before us have been a main contribution to scientific discoveries and achieved milestones in education. It was a societal and cultural decision not to portray or discuss them.
Only recently has society started to acknowledge the discoveries made by these women. I believe it is important for us to recognize women in any field, but as a science major myself, I find myself particularly interested in the women who have contributed to the scientific field. This kind of representation is incredibly important for women around the world to see themselves as both capable and deserving of any career they dream of.
In a time when women’s contributions are just now beginning to gain recognition for their discoveries, many still continue to face challenges to feel heard in male-dominated fields. Therefore, the more we encourage women to pursue their interests, the more we can move away from these challenges and fight to change the kinds of barriers that women face.
One woman I look up to in the scientific field is Christina Koch, a member of the Artemis II mission and the first woman to travel around the moon. While I admired the well deserved praise she received for being a part of this mission, I noticed many people were surprised to see a woman taking part in this mission. Personally, I found her involvement far from it.
There have been generations of women like Christina Koch, however there was just a lack of praise for them or their work was often stolen and credited by other male colleagues. This concept is known as the “Matilda Effect”.
A prime example of this is Rosalind Franklin, the woman behind the scientific discovery of the double helical structure of DNA and its components. While Franklin is now known for her work in X-ray crystallography, it took two of her male colleagues taking credit and being granted the Nobel Prize before she was rightfully awarded her recognition almost 50 years later. This concept is why we find ourselves so surprised at women succeeding in aspects of education and research, even in today’s modern age.
This raises an important question, one I am still trying to understand myself: Why has it taken so long for the media and society to start recognizing women for their work, and why do we find their remarkable achievements so controversial and surprising?
One reason may be the stereotypes women have faced in society that may have shaped the perceptions of the roles that they are expected to pursue, such as caregiver or domestic labour roles. As a result of this, it may be difficult to accept that women are, and have always been capable of achieving. Moral of the story, being a young woman in STEM, I have come to realize just how much we underestimate women’s influence and contributions to science.
But what I also learned is that this may not be entirely our fault. Truthfully, it may just be that society has shaped us to think this way. The more I acknowledge this idea, the more I reflect on my own experiences as a woman in STEM.
Oftentimes, I forget how privileged I am to live in a time where I have the opportunity to pursue an education, explore my interests, and see more recognition for the women in academia. Learning about the women before me who did not have these opportunities motivates me to continue pursuing an education for those who had a hard time doing so.
What I admire most about our generation of women is that we are gradually moving away from these perceptions that have held women back and instead we have chosen to acknowledge the impact women have in academics. I know I have focused on the women in scientific fields, but my message extends to women in every academic field, whether that be law, political science, journalism, arts, business, etc.
Regardless of the field pursued, it all comes down to their impact and their ability to change the world. We need to shift away from this idea that women’s achievements in education are surprising or unusual, and instead focus on recognizing them for their discoveries and research and continue to do so without treating their successes as unexpected. This is the very reason I love being a woman in STEM. I hope to be half as strong as Christina Koch, Rosalind Franklin, and all the other women who have contributed to discoveries, whether known or unknown.
Women are the future, but they are also an essential part of our history, and if we do not continue to recognize this now, we will only continue to allow the same stereotypes and barriers that held women back in the past affect us today, making it more difficult for the next generation of women to pursue their careers