Talk to them: Women in Astronomy

In recent years there have been big advances in women taking up scientific and technological studies and joining the workforce in those areas. However the gender gap is most important in decision making positions, and there are fields such as Physics, Engineering, and Informatics where women are still under-represented. In order to help achieve access, and full and equal participation in science by women and girls , to promote career perspectives among women in science, and to recognize their achievements the General Assembly of the United Nations named February 11th every year as International Day of Women and the Girls in Science.

The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) is committed to a policy of gender equality, the promotion of the role of women in science, and encouraging scientific and technological vocations among girls as well as boys. It participates in the network Tenerife Violeta, and in the European network GENERA, which promotes equality in research centres in Physics.  For all of these reasons, since 2017 the IAC has joined in the celebrations of February 11th with a range of activities and projects, at institutional level, as well as many of its women and men researchers and technologists on their own initiatives.

With the spirit of 11 February and the aim of reaching those corners of the Spanish geography far from the IAC headquarters, the initiative "Talk to them: Women in Astronomy" was born.

 

What is it?

It is an initiative that aims to make visible the work of women in Astronomy-Astrophysics, while offering girls inspiring models to promote their scientific and technological vocations. It consists of videoconferences with educational centres by women astrophysicists and engineers who work at the IAC and at other institutions present in the Observatories of the Canary Islands, in which they explain their work, talk about their field of research and answer students' questions about the scientific and technological careers, the Universe or the methods we use to get to know it better.

The duration of the videoconferences is 50-60 minutes. The default language is Spanish, although, as the IAC and its Observatories are internationalised centres, it can also be requested in other languages (English, Italian, French). 

 

For whom?

The activity is aimed at Spanish educational centres, from infants until High School and Professional Training. 

 

When?

This school year 2019-2020, the activity will start on February 11 and will continue until June, on the dates and times agreed between the applicant schools and the participating volunteers. 

 

How to register?

If you are a teacher at a Spanish school and you are interested in participating in this initiative, register your school using this inscription form and request a videoconference.

Registration will be open until the maximum number of videoconferences we can do in a school year is covered. If it is not possible for us to hold the videoconference on the requested date, we will propose a new one..

 

Who participates?

This project is based on the initiative of the same name that took place in La Laguna on February 11, 2017, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and on the proposals of IAC researchers, disseminators and engineers (many of them volunteers participating in the project) committed to gender equality in Science. More information: "TALK TO THEM: Women in Astronomy". 

 

The first edition of the project was developed during the 2018-2019 school year, starting on 11 February 2019 in an intensive format from 8:30 to 18:00 (Canary Island time), and continued until May 2019. Thirteen volunteers took part in it, holding 30 videoconferences, reaching more than 1,300 primary, secondary and high school students in eight Autonomous Communities. The evaluation of the initiative was very positive, both by the educational centers and the volunteers, so we decided to continue it this year.

 

The project has been presented in the the following conferences and meetings: