Earlier this year I shared a post about my reflections as Black Woman in STEM #AAWiSTEM. I know that there many women in STEM that read Mademoiselle Scientist who can relate to some of the things I mentioned in that post. Let’s go a bit deeper.
Empowering Women in STEM:
1. Support Each Other:
As a woman in STEM, the biggest thing that helped me to stay in science is my support system. My support system includes: my faith, God, family and other women in STEM. I like when I see women in STEM do amazing things and I like to see girls get excited about STEM. If we want to increase the number of women in STEM we have to build a strong support system and start now.
2. Mentor:
Along with support comes mentoring. Mentoring is a big part of empowering women in STEM. When I realized I wanted to become a scientist I did not have many science role models. The only role model I had when I was younger was my aunt, who is an electrical engineer. She was my biggest influence and is one of the reasons I am a scientist today.
3. Influence the Younger Generations:
It is important that we work with the younger generations. Like the Whitney Houston song says, “I believe the children are the future… [for STEM] teach them well and let them lead the way”. If we want to see higher numbers of women in STEM we have to start influencing girls at an early age. Programs like the National Society of Black Engineers Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (NSBE SEEK) and Black Girls Code are amazing for capturing children’s STEM interests.
4. Spread the Word:
Tell everyone you know about STEM. You can do anything with a STEM degree. Use your social media #sciencetwitter and #scicomm accounts to spread the word.
5. Continue to be Successful in Your STEM Career:
When you win, we all win. A win for one woman in STEM is a win for all of us. Search Mademoiselle Scientist Spotlight to learn more information about women in STEM. These are all great female scientists that have paved the way. The more successful women girls see, the more likely they will want to become scientists.
How will you empower women in STEM? Share below.