As International Women’s Day was just last week it is a good time to reflect upon the women of today in STEM, and the pioneers of the past.
The role of women in STEM cannot be overlooked as it has been fundamental to the growth of science (including social science), technology and society as a whole. The history of science tends to under-represent women, however, there is a range of examples of women in the ranks of physics, chemistry, biology, archaeology, anthropology, civil engineering and many other fields throughout history.
I have had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing many brilliant women scientists, mathematicians and engineers throughout my career. People who have inspired countless others through research, teaching and simply living.
This video showcases some famous women scientists and engineers, some you may have heard of, others perhaps not so much. It’s important that we tell the stories of women in STEM for whom without science would be at a great loss, not to mention our future.
Now is the time more than ever for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to lead us forward in creating the future we want, and for the betterment of all.
This year for #IWD2019 we are celebrating five awesome women of science, some of whom are not so well know. We'd love to hear which female scientists have inspired you and why. #BalanceforBetter @womensday pic.twitter.com/ZAPuru11zP
— NCL STEM Outreach (@STEMNewcastle) March 8, 2019
Some more famous historical women of science, medicine, mathematics and engineering worth remembering:
- Rachel Mary Parsons, Founding President of the Women’s Engineering Society
- Ethel Williams, physician
- Margaret Cavendish, natural philosopher
- Ada Lovelace, computing pioneer and visionary
And some exciting contemporary portraits of amazing women in STEM mentioned above plus a few others available from illustrator Katie Chappell here.
Last but not least a video about a past project called Forgetting to Remember that reflected on the role of women in science and music composition. It culminated with an interactive, public performance at the Sage in Gateshead.