Thursday, June 28, 2012

Female scientists = lipstick, heels, and pink?

Serious sexism.



You all have probably already seen this, given the waves it's caused on the internet, but you might not have seen the website it's advertising:  


The website isn't that bad.  It has interviews with female scientists, spotlights some major achievements in science spearheaded by women, and has a good jobs section which includes all the STEM fields, not just the "soft sciences" women are often encouraged to pursue.

So why did they create this video as the teaser to the website?  The most "science-y" thing the young women in the video do is put on safety glasses.

SMBC posted a comic a while ago that I immediately thought of after seeing this video:

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1962

We all have a responsibility to encourage and educate the young men and women considering careers in STEM fields, regardless of sex or gender-identity, and the best way to do this is leading by example.

Less gender-stereotyping and more profiling of successful female scientists will go a long way, European Commission.

Jeez.

1 comment:

  1. I'm reading a book about the socialization of science/math (focused on CS) in children and how that plays into perceptions of who is welcomed in different fields. Ima give it to you when I finish.

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