Most workplaces do not have proper facilities to support moms when they return from work. One important component of this is having enough and adequate lactation spaces to support the decision to breastfeed. Here are some ways you can help!
Developing a Thick Skin
This week on #MeetAScientist get to know Dr. Liz McCullagh, a neuroscientist and leadership team member of 500 Women Scientists. She has co-led some of our major initiatives like the Request a Woman Scientist resource and our newly launched #SciMomJourney campaign to raise awareness around challenges facing science moms in STEM fields and connecting them to resources and support. In this interview, she chats about these initiatives and what has propelled her through her career in science.
International Women's Day
Happy International Women’s Day! We are excited to be celebrating by raising a pint with our pods. Tag us on twitter or instagram (@500WomenSci) and let us know how you are celebrating. And as put by Athene Donald, let’s also honor those forced out of science. Thank you to everyone in our network, we are so grateful to you and the important work you do!
Take Action Tuesday
Join our #SciMomJourney, share your story and help support other Moms in Science. This week we are officially launching our #SciMomJourney campaign. Our goal is to bring more visibility to the challenges mothers in science face when starting or building their families.
Weekly Wrap-Up
Yesterday I was finally able to attend my first Wikipedia edit-a-thon #diversithon (co-organized by the awesome Jess Wade). What is so awesome about editing Wikipedia pages is that you can have both a large and long lasting impact on representation in science all while sitting behind your computer! The importance of seeing women, and especially women of color, in science cannot be overstated and I am so glad to get to contribute this way! We’d love to hear from you, have you joined an edit-a-thon? Or maybe you like other methods to address representation.
Take Action Tuesday
Today we show our support for #metooSTEM. The institution of science is not free of sexual harassment and assault on women. You may remember this past winter when astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was accused of harassing women, and as Prof. Chandra Prescod-Weinstein said, the event reminds “us that racial and gender bias continue to harm science and scientists”.
Weekly Wrap-Up
Our goal for this week: build someone up, because empowered women empower women. There are many ways to support the women around you: you can mentor; use this trick during meetings; listen to and amplify the voices of women of color; or maybe make a wikipedia page. How do you encourage and build up the women around you?
Take Action Tuesday
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”.
Weekly Wrap-Up
This week, we showed our gratitude to our amazing and strong women colleagues and supporters for #InternationalDayOfWomenInScience. We also continued to use our collective voice to make sure women’s contributions in STEM and beyond are recognized and valued. In March, we are launching a new campaign to bring more visibility to the journeys of SciMoms and SciParents - please share your story with us! Have a great weekend everyone!
What we’ve done
Help us rebuild our Request a Woman Scientists platform!
How are you celebrating and acknowledging #blackhistorymonth
Our NYC pod participated in the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science!!!
500 Women in Medicine continues to catch fire!
We spoke at the AAAS annual meeting.
Scientists are fighting against gender bias (including us!)
Diverse teams of scientists do better science (but of course we already knew that!)
What we like
Follow Friday: @McLNeuro, @DrRubidium, @CheyennePolius, @RhinoEcologist
This microbiologist is using science to combat climate change desertification.
We loved Inferior by Angela Saini, and we all need to pre-order Superior today!
This thread from one of our favorite orgs SACNAS.
23 Black Women Scientists Who Changed The Damn World
Photo by Nicole Harrington on Unsplash
Take Action Tuesday
Weekly Wrap-Up
This week saw crucial discussions around climate justice, with testimony at the House Committee on Natural Resources and the release of an outline for the Green New Deal, as well as around voting rights with Stacey Abrams’ response to the State of the Union. These conversations continue to invigorate our work as we imagine bold solutions to building a more just and equitable scientific enterprise, while drawing from a base of evidence to implement them. Together, we’ll continue to do better!
Black History Month
Weekly Wrap-Up
For #blackhistorymonth, Black Panther is back in theaters! This could be a great pod gathering and another opportunity to see the brilliant scientist, Shuri on the big screen ! How else are you all planning to honor and celebrate #blackhistorymonth? Let us know! Enjoy the weekend, and for those in the polar vortex, stay safe!
Take Action Tuesday
This week on #TakeActionTuesday, 500 Women Scientists asks you to #StandWithBennett to ensure the continued accreditation of Bennett College, one of two remaining historically black colleges for women. We’ll also keep working to keep the government open and prevent future shutdowns, which only serve to harm science and our society.
Weekly Wrap-Up
Last weekend many from our organization marched - in a women’s march, on #MLK day and for #indigenouspeoplesmarch. We love to see you all out there standing up for social justice and taking steps towards breaking down a system that truly only supports on a few and holds back most. We know alone, marching will not bring change, but it does bring us together, helps build our network, and makes us stronger when we return home to enact the necessary changes - to make science more open, inclusive, and accessible. Thank you everyone for what you do. Enjoy your well earned weekend!