As we point out in our PLOS Biology paper, published last week, we are tired of “seeing all men panels (“manels”) and women’s scientific expertise often excluded in the public realm.” So, what can you do about it?

April 11-17th is Black Maternal Health Week, organized by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to bring awareness and action to maternal health and reproductive justice . The month of April is also recognized in the United States as National Minority Health Month – a month-long initiative to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities.

April is Autism Acceptance Month. It is important to shift from a more passive notion of “awareness” towards taking action in “acceptance”.

Many scientists have been very vocal about the importance of vaccination, however this may result in social media wars, in which both parties disagree, become increasingly angry, and no movement is made. Our goal is to improve the way we, as scientists, communicate with people who are hesitant about vaccines. Today, you can Take Action by using the literature to your advantage!

Mothers working in science have a tough job – juggling the demands of a career and looking after family. A recent study published in Nature found that in the United States “more than 40% of women with full-time jobs in science leave the sector or go part time after having their first child”. This week in #TakeActionTuesday the focus is all about supporting mothers in science. How can you help those around you?

A current conversation in US academic spaces and on #AcademicTwitter is the role that the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) has in STEM grad school admissions and the reasons why it acts as a barrier to access for a lot of folks, especially people of color, international students, and folks from disadvantaged backgrounds. As put by wokeSTEM, the GRE is “a deeply structured and institutionalized barrier for diversifying STEM”.

“..every single day in America, 137 black women die from a preventable disease, heart disease. That's every 11 minutes.” -T. Morgan Dixon

February is Black History Month in the United States. This Tuesday, and for the entire month of February, take some time to learn more about African American artists, authors, scientists, and activists. Support and amplify their stories.

There is about a week left to weigh in on proposed changes to Title IX that will affect student and employees of educational institutions from discrimination based on sex and sexual harassment. Or as ‘Catherine Lhamon, a former assistant secretary for civil rights in the Obama administration, said the consequences of the rule would be devastating for survivors: “It seems like encouragement for schools to stick their heads in the sand and ignore information readily available to them,”.’

To continue celebrating National Mentoring Month, this week’s #TakeActionTuesday is focused on recognizing and thanking the mentors in our life. #ThankYouTuesday