Forum pushes for more girls in science

‘‘Girls can do anything.’’

We’ve been hearing it for a long time now but that message doesn’t seem to be getting through when it comes to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

At the third annual ‘For Girls in Science’ forum on September 9, 180 aspiring year 11 and 12 girls from 20 Auckland schools descended on the University of Auckland to be inspired by some top female scientists. They were then let loose in some of the top university laboratories in the country.

In the United States back in 1970 women made up just 7 per cent of workers in STEM jobs. Thirty years later that number had risen to 23 per cent. But that number has only crept up a little since then.

There are more women working in social sciences and they’re well represented in biological sciences. But in computer related science jobs fewer than one in three are women, and in engineering this plummets to 13 per cent.

Part of this discrepancy is ongoing stereotyping on the types of careers girls should pursue.

Not only is that stopping girls from pursuing some fascinating

‘‘For science to make a difference to the world we do need more women in science’’

Professor Margaret Brimble

jobs it is also locking them out of some of the worlds’ highest paying jobs. Even unintentional gender bias can not only skew how research is being undertaken but also what is being researched.

In the past this led to trials for medications that were more focused on men, and which didn’t take into account women’s varying hormonal levels.

Research shows diverse STEM teams solve complex problems better and faster, L’Oreal NZ spokeswoman Tanya Abbott says.

Important contributions to the understanding of molecular structures of DNA, healthcare standard for newborns and the world’s first computer programme were all pioneered by female scientists.

This year’s panel was hosted by Dr Michelle Dickinson (aka Nano Girl) and included marine biologist Dr Zoe Hilton and geologist Dr Christina Riesselman. It was chaired by Professor Margaret Brimble, chairwoman of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Auckland who was the first New Zealander to receive the L’Oreal–UNESCO For Women in Science Laureate.

‘‘For science to make a difference to the world we do need more women in science; women who will make a difference in New Zealand and the world,’’ Brimble says.

CHRIS LOUFTE Kate Lee, 16, of Takapuna Gramar School undertakes a Thin Layer Chromatography experiment.