March 10, 2022
Women’s History Month
In the United States, March is recognized as Women’s History Month. It overlaps neatly with International Women’s Day, celebrated in some form for over 100 years. Much like Black History Month, Women’s History Month in the US started as Women’s History Week, a way to celebrate women’s achievements and increase awareness of women’s contributions to all areas of life in the US. Since 1988, US presidents have issued annual proclamations to recognize Women’s History Month. Like any other commemorative month, it is critical that women’s history, accomplishments, contributions, and needs are recognized and discussed all year round, not just in March.
In the United States and around the world, women still face inequity and injustice—unequal pay, limited access to healthcare, workplace bias, and interpersonal violence. Furthermore, advocacy and policy changes often neglect women who hold other marginalized identities: women of color, trans women, queer women, disabled women, poor women… Kimberlé Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality, first published over 30 years ago, explores how women of color face not only the same oppression as both white women and men of color, but also unique marginalization that comes from the intersection of these two identities.
It should come as no surprise to members of SAFS that women in STEM and academia are woefully underrepresented, especially as faculty and principal investigators. Gender bias in the sciences is well documented, and barriers to advancement for women need to be addressed at the institutional level. Last year, the SAFS EI Committee hosted a screening and discussion of Picture a Scientist, a documentary that highlights the gender-based discrimination and harassment experienced by three prominent women researchers. If you weren’t able to view it at the time, it is very much worth the two hours to watch it. Consider taking this month to learn about prominent women scientists in your field, or women scientists whose contributions have been under-appreciated, so that you can recognize their work in your research and curriculum.
A number of professional organizations exist for women in STEM, including:
- 500 Women Scientists
- Black Women in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Science (BWEEMS)
- Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN)
- Minorities in Shark Science (MISS)
- Society for Women in Marine Science (SWMS)
If you would like to read more, various UW blogs have already published a handful of good articles with links to information and resources: