United Nations, UNAM and the Polytechnic to Celebrate Women and Girls in Science

The United Nations (UN) recognizes the increasing involvement of women in science and technology, yet stresses the need for more individuals to contribute in these disciplines. This is a sentiment expressed on their official website.

In an effort to promote visibility and advocate for gender equality within the scientific sector, the United Nations Assembly declared the 11th of February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science back in 2015. This day is dedicated to spreading awareness about the work done by women in science and encouraging further participation.

To mark this special occasion, the UN has organized the ninth edition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly. Slated to take place on the 8th and 9th of February at the UN headquarters in New York, the assembly will bring together scientists, government officials, international organization representatives, and private sector leaders. The focus of the discussions will be on women’s leadership and its role in achieving the three pillars of sustainable development: economic prosperity, social justice, and environmental integrity.

Meanwhile, in Mexico, several activities have been lined up in celebration of the day. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has planned workshops, conferences, and laboratory visits at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences. These events, which will be held this Thursday, are open to the general public.

At the Naucalpan College of Sciences and Humanities, a series of films featuring female scientists will be showcased. In addition, a storytelling session has been scheduled, where the book Good night stories for rebellious girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo will be read. Campus students will also conduct a workshop on Simple Scientific Experiments. These activities will take place on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Audiovisual Cinema Room and in the Antonio Lazcano and José Sarukhán auditoriums.

On the same day, the Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024 will also feature an event titled “Ask a Biologist”. Academics from the UNAM Biodiversity Institute will discuss various topics including vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and fungi. This event will be held in the Multimedia Room of the National Biodiversity Pavilion. Students of these researchers will lead dissemination workshops.

Elsewhere, the National Polytechnic Institute will host the Festival of Women and Girls in Science at the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium. This festival will feature numerous workshops and films related to the theme. One of the key events is the talk on Mission Sagebrush, presented by Danna Ximena Astro, a science communicator on social media. She will discuss the role of women in space exploration. This event is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Planetarium.

Further activities will be held at the Spain Cultural Center on the 10th and 11th of February. On Saturday, a noteworthy talk titled “Communicating science with violet glasses” will tackle the risks that women face when disseminating scientific information.

During this talk, the speakers will share insights from their own experiences. Some of the participants include Aketzalli González Santiago, a biologist from the UNAM Faculty of Sciences; Mónica Angulo Miñarro, a project manager at the British Council and volunteer general director at Girls in Tech México; Cecilia Montero, the coordinator of the master’s degree in environmental journalism and editor of the magazine Noosphere, from the Center for Atmospheric and Ecological Research; and researcher Liliana Quintanar Vera, a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and the Latin American Academy.

On Sunday, a workshop titled “Women on Earth and in Space” will explore the lives of women who have made strides in space exploration and those who have dedicated their artistic skills to understanding biological processes, such as metamorphosis.