Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy International Day of the Girl, y’all!

Its been a quiet week in the 500 Women Scientists world, which means its been a productive week for many of us in our work/science lives. To be honest, I wish there were more weeks like this one, a week full of “science” in the “woman in science.” So lets spend this weekend refueling our science mind body and soul!

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions.

Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash

The Power of Joy, Excellence, Resistance, and Radical Authenticity

The Power of Joy, Excellence, Resistance, and Radical Authenticity

This week on #MeetAScientist, get to know Shawntel Okonkwo, a PhD candidate of Molecular Biology and Gene Regulation at UCLA and the founder of wokeSTEM, a unique entity that intersects social justice, STEM and science communication, while centering people of color. In this interview, she discusses the importance of embracing radical authenticity and truth-telling, which are at the core of wokeSTEM, as well as the transformative power of seeing yourself reflected in science.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy Friday everyone!

We crane our necks to see the wreckage of powerful male careers without even bothering to wonder about the women whose lives and careers those men damaged.

- Rebecca Traister

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions.

Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash

Take Action Tuesday

Today’s Take Action Tuesday is brought to us by Danielle Schmitt and Sej Chung from the San Diego CA Pod.

As women-identifying people in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM), we are well aware of how stressful and anxiety-inducing balancing work, family, and volunteer work can be. Surveys have found a high rate of anxiety and depression amongst graduate students. Women are twice as likely to develop common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, compared to men. As women in STEMM, it is critical to prioritize our mental and physical health. This week, we provide some ideas for how to better take care of ourselves and reach out to those in your community who might need help. 

Here are some tips:

  1. Start your day with five minutes of meditation (try apps like Headspace if you want something more structured); 

  2. Healthy gut makes for a healthy mind! Your gut can influence the way your brain functions and as a result can also affect your mental health. Some foods, like fatty fish, whole grains, lean protein, leafy greens, and yogurt, can help with mental health.

  3. Daily positive affirmations can help block out negative thoughts. These can be post-it notes on your desk, or notes on your phone as reminders to be kind to yourself and take breaks. 

  4. Exercise can reduce stress and anxiety, but doesn’t have to involve the gym or long work-outs. Even a short walk or run in the morning/evening is beneficial - the key is to do something active daily!

In addition to selfcare, we need to destigmatize discussion of mental health in science. Here are some easy ways to start:

  1. If you feel comfortable, talk about your own mental health when you have the opportunity. When speaking about mental health in graduate school, we found that many of our fellow students were experiencing similar issues, but no one talked about it. So lets make it okay to talk about mental health. 

  2. Be conscious of language - do not use a mental health disorder to describe a person’s action. 

  3. Remind yourself and others - mental health is just as important as physical health.

If you find that yourself or someone in your community in need of help, reach out for help. There are national helplines, resources for veterans, or find A Therapist. Finally, the American Psychological Association has some tips on how scientists can practice self-care. 

Take some time this week and every week to take care of you and your community. The work we do is hard and we need to find ways to take care of ourselves and each other. Self-care is going to look different for everyone based on your lifestyle, culture, and socioeconomic status. Find a way to give yourself what you need, and most of all, be kind to yourself.

Photo by Josh Withers on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy Friday everyone!

Its been a week, folks! Despite some serious lows, there is palpable change in the air! Young people across the world are leading a movement that is fundamentally shifting how we talk about and act on climate. They lead unapologetically, with moral clarity and conviction. As Dr. Ayana Johnson said in her speech at the NY climate strike last Friday:

But let’s be clear: youthful moral clarity is not the same thing as naïveté. Don’t let anyone tell you it is.

Young people are leading on climate, Indigenous groups are leading on climate, communities of color are leading on climate, women are leading on climate, and we should all pay attention, support them, and get out of their way!

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

  • Follow Friday: @JeromeFosterII @yeampierre @Jamie_Margolin @AlexandriaV2005

  • The moral clarity and conviction of demanding action on climate change

  • Medical professionals pushing back against abortion restrictions

  • Calling for women to lead in climate, but owning our own complacency

  • Props to Rhiana Gunn-Wright - Root 100 leading thinker, doer and change-maker in policies that affect our climate and communities!

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast and book suggestions.

Image credit: Gnangarra, commons.wikimedia.org (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/deed.en)

Take Action Tuesday

The Climate Movement is Growing (Post by Jewel Tomasula)

Led by young people across the world, climate activism reached an all time high on Friday September 20th with the global #ClimateStrike. The movement will keep growing.

This week, we are continuing to act on climate across the globe. Protests, marches, strikes, peaceful civil disobedience, and other organized actions are important tactics for changing what is politically possible and creating, then sustaining, pressure to enact bold climate policies and solutions.

We hope you to engage in climate activism this week, in whatever way empowers you and makes you feel courageous. 

Here are some ways that women in STEM can help keep the momentum going in the climate movement:

Photo by Axi Aimee on Unsplash

Friday Wrap Up

Welcome to Climate Strike Friday!

“Lightening makes no sound until it strikes”

Martin Luther King Jr.

I hope many of you around the world have been able to get engaged with the #globalclimatestrike and found a way to take action in your communities, cities, states, countries.

WHAT WE’VE DONE

Strike With Us_black_square.png

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast suggestions and summer reads.

Photo by Damon Lam on Unsplash

Take Action Tuesday

Canadian Elections 2019

September 17 (post by Ashley Shaw and Heather Slinn)

Canadian Federal Elections 2019 are on October 21st! For the next five weeks, parties will be discussing their platforms to potential voters in the hopes of winning the election. Media focus has been primarily based upon the power struggle between the Conservatives and the Liberals, headed by Andrew Scheer and Justin Trudeau, respectively. However, the New Democratic Party (NDP) lead by Jagmeet Singh and the Green Party lead by Elizabeth May, have gained significant traction in the dominant narrative. At this point in the race, voters have many resources to be informed of the development of policies and decisions that may heavily impact their lives. 

If you are eligible to vote, there are a few key steps that you can take to prepare for the 2019 elections:

  1. Register to vote: https://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=reg&document=index&lang=e

  2. Read through the initial platforms and policies provided by each party:

        1. https://2019.liberal.ca/

        2. https://www.ndp.ca/

        3. https://www.greenparty.ca/en

        4. https://www.conservative.ca/

  3. Check out this vote compass provided by the CBC to determine which party your values align with: https://votecompass.cbc.ca/canada/

  4. Follow the debates on television to witness what is being discussed and what commitments are being made

  5. Attend town hall meetings to speak with representatives and take part in politically charged discussions

  6. If you will be outside the country during the election, make sure to either pre-vote: https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=vote&document=index&lang=e#advance or send vote by mail https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/living-abroad/elections-faq.

  7. Encourage your friends, colleagues, family to vote.

  8. Sign petitions and contribute to one of the campaigns around this election organized by LeadNow (https://www.leadnow.ca/), The Council of Canadians (https://canadians.org/), David Suzuki Foundation (https://davidsuzuki.org/) and Fair Vote Canada (https://www.fairvote.ca/).  There are many more non-profit and non-governmental organizations that you can get involved with.

  9. Need more information about voting in the Canadian elections? Check out this CBC article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-voter-guide-2019-federal-election-1.5260336

  10. As we come closer to the election near the end of October, we will learn more about what decisions each party plans to implement should they win. While the election itself is very important, it is also imperative to practice self-care when delving into the world of politics. The decisions each party plans to make do have significant impacts on our population. However, it is easy to get caught up in the seemingly never-ending source of issues our society has grown to face including climate change, gender inequality, and the struggle towards effective reconciliation with Indigenous communities.

Stay tuned for additional posts regarding the Canadian Elections in the coming weeks.

Photo by Silvestri Matteo on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

Hi everyone - happy Friday!

We have had a busy northern hemisphere summer, full of huge ups and some immeasurable losses, both personal and professional. As we process, we can’t help but realize that if we want to stay in this fight for the long haul, we must work to build back ourselves and each other. If you are finding yourself similarly drained, check out these self-care tips for activists, and read about the origins of the “self-care” movement.

“Self care is an act of political warfare” Brittany Packnett

And in the meantime, enjoy the weekend!

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast suggestions and summer reads.

Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash

Take Action Tuesday

Today’s Take Action Tuesday post brought to you by Jewel Tomasula

Unions have had an important role in securing livable wages and benefits, improving working conditions, and giving workers collective power. Unions can also be forces for gender equity and social justice. 

At many universities, service workers and faculty, adjunct, and graduate students unionize. We encourage you to see if your current academic institution or alma mater has unions.

Which worker groups have unionized?

Are there any current efforts to organize a new union or bargain for a new contract?

We recommend these articles to start thinking about how unions can play a role in reshaping power structures in academia:

Grad Students are Unionizing to Fight Campus Sexual Assault

Why I’m Pushing for a Postdoc Union

The Future of Unions is White-Collar

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy Friday everyone!

We are excited to step into September, ramp up our involvement with the Global Climate Strikes, and launch new projects this fall. Look for updates on the Fellowship for the Future, a new initiative on Reproductive Justice, more from the SciMom Journeys team, more resources for our global network of pods, an op-ed editorial board supporting writing projects, and more!

But for now, lets wrap up this week.

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast suggestions and summer reads.

Photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash

Weekly Wrap-Up

WHAT WE’VE DONE

WHAT WE LIKE (climate edition)

READING CORNER

IN OUR EARBUDS

Don’t hesitate to send us your podcast suggestions and summer reads.

Photo by Sylvia Szekely on Unsplash

Take Action Tuesday

August 26 (Ana Carvalho, Nicole Glock Maceno, Marina Ramalhete)

Amazon on fire – what you can do to help.

The Amazon, a vast region that spans across Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, and the Guianas, holds some of the most important and biodiverse ecosystems on the planet and has been on fire for weeks. Despite recent progress reducing Amazonian deforestation, the  current level of destruction is a direct result of recent Brazilian governmental initiatives that weaken environmental protections. The President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, literally said that the Amazon is "open for business" and giant companies across the world (including iconic US companies) are exploiting the opportunity to access formerly protected resources, at a great cost to Indigenous peoples, natural resources, and global climate. 

It can be overwhelming to know where to start with an issue that is so geopolitically complex, but the actions in Brazil and other countries in South America are seeded from decisions corporations make outside of the Amazon. We have an immediate opportunity to put pressure on those corporations, both with individual actions and through our vocal activism.

So here are some actions you can take:

Stay engaged: Use social media and other outlets to keep the conversation about what is happening in the Amazon alive. Stay informed about the effect of deforestation in Brazil and across the world, and encourage other people to be informed and speak out. And join the International Day of Action for the Amazon on September 5th.

Advocate for indigenous rights: The Amazon rainforest is not just our planet’s “lungs” as it has been described recently. When talking about conservation of the Amazon, we must also talk about the fact that the Amazon is home to a large number of Indigenous groups. Government initiatives have directly targeted them and continue to, especially under the new Brazilian government that is openly hostile to Indigenous rights. Listen to indigenous leadership, advocate for the protection of Indigenous territories and rights.

Donate to organizations fighting to protect the Amazon: Several organizations are working to protect the Amazon and indigenous rights. Consider donating to Amazon Watch, Instituto Socioambiental, among other organizations.

Reduce beef consumption: Much of the deforestation of the Amazon is done with fire to clear forested lands for agriculture and specifically for livestock production. If you live in Brazil or in one of the countries that import beef from the country, consider reducing your meat consumption or looking for alternative local meat sources.

Contact your elected representatives: No matter where you are in the world, let your elected representatives know that you expect them to support initiatives that protect the environment and indigenous rights and that you value conservation of the Amazon.

Amazônia em chamas – o que você pode fazer para ajudar a floresta

A Amazônia, uma vasta região que abrange parte do Brasil, Bolívia, Peru, Equador, Colômbia, Venezuela, Suriname, e as Guianas, possui alguns dos ecossistemas mais importantes do planeta, e está em chamas há semanas. Apesar dos recentes progressos na redução do desmatamento na Amazônia, o atual nível de destruição é resultado direto de recentes iniciativas governamentais brasileiras que enfraquecem a proteção ambiental. O recém-eleito Presidente do Brasil, Jair Bolsonaro, disse que a Amazônia está "aberta para negócios" e grandes empresas de todo o mundo (incluindo empresas americanas icônicas) estão usando a oportunidade de acessar recursos anteriormente protegidos, um grande custo para os povos indígenas, recursos naturais e clima global.

Pode ser estressante entender por onde começar com uma questão tão complexa do ponto de vista geopolítico, mas as ações no Brasil e em outros países da América do Sul são originadas de decisões tomadas por empresas fora da Amazônia. Temos uma oportunidade imediata de pressionar essas corporações, tanto com ações individuais quanto através do nosso ativismo.

Então, aqui estão algumas ações que você pode realizar:
Engaje-se: Use as mídias sociais e outros meios de comunicação para manter viva a conversa sobre o que está acontecendo na Amazônia. Mantenha-se informada (o) sobre o efeito do desmatamento no Brasil e no mundo e incentive outras pessoas a informarem-se e se manifestarem. Participe do Dia Internacional de Ação para a Amazônia no dia 5 de setembro.

Lute pelos direitos dos povos indígenas: A floresta amazônica não é vital somente para o ecossistema global. Ao falar sobre a conservação da Amazônia, devemos também falar sobre os povos indígenas e como as iniciativas do governo os afetaram diretamente. Escute-os e defenda os direitos humanos e a proteção dos territórios indígenas.

Faça uma doação para organizações que lutam para proteger a Amazônia: Várias organizações estão trabalhando para proteger a Amazônia e os direitos indígenas. Considere doar para a Amazon Watch, Instituto Socioambiental, entre outras organizações.

Reduza o consumo de carne vermelha: O desmatamento e a destruição da Amazônia são amplamente realizados através do uso do fogo como uma maneira de limpar as terras florestais para a agricultura e especificamente para a produção animal. Se você mora no Brasil ou em um dos países que importam carne bovina, considere reduzir o consumo de carne ou procurar fontes alternativas locais de carne.

Entre em contato com seus representantes eleitos: não importa onde você esteja no mundo, informe seus representantes eleitos que você espera que eles apóiem iniciativas que protejam o meio ambiente e os direitos indígenas, e que você valoriza a conservação da Amazônia.

Photo by Birgit Lengert on Unsplash

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