Today is a day of recognition for all of the innovative women and girls who work and study in STEM related fields.
Despite the fact that women have paved the way for crucial scientific research in the areas of medicine, the human genome, and space exploration (just to name a few), they only comprise about 30 percent of researchers worldwide. This is likely due to the continued prevalence of stereotypes that suggest these areas of study are more geared towards boys and men.
We need to break gender stereotypes that link science to masculinity and expose young generations to positive role models; women engineers, astronauts and researchers. We need a dedicated strategy not only for increasing the representation of women in the talent pipeline for STEM jobs, but also for ensuring that they thrive, incentivizing them to remain in these high-paying jobs and institutionalizing organizational cultures that enable women to advance in these fields.
—Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women
Today we call for an end to these gender biases. To help empower the young women in your classroom to pursue their passions for all things STEM, we offer a sampling of titles that might be of interest to include in your courses. In them, students will find stories of Geobiologists who will make them think of trees differently, the hidden history of the women who forever changed our understanding of the stars, and the women who brought us the internet.
