Tag: women

Great food for thought for all of us, women: “Woman, by Unknown Author”

When God created woman he was working late on the 6th day…….

An angel came by and asked.” Why spend so much time on her?”

The lord answered. “Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her?”

She must function on all kinds of situations,
She must be able to embrace several kids at the same time,
Have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart,
She must do all this with only two hands,”
She cures herself when sick and can work 18 hours a day”

THE ANGEL was impressed” Just two hands…..impossible!

And this is the standard model?”

The Angel came closer and touched the woman”
“But you have made her so soft, Lord”.
“She is soft”, said the Lord,
“But I have made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome”

“Can she think?” The Angel asked…
The Lord answered. “Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate”

The Angel touched her cheeks….
“Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her”
“She is not leaking…it is a tear” The Lord corrected the Angel…

“What’s it for?” Asked the Angel….. .
The Lord said. “Tears are her way of expressing her grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.”…

This made a big impression on the Angel,
“Lord, you are a genius. You thought of everything.
A woman is indeed marvellous”

Lord said.”Indeed she is.
She has strength that amazes a man.
She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.
She holds happiness, love and opinions.
She smiles when she feels like screaming.
She sings when she feels like crying, cries when happy and laughs when afraid.
She fights for what she believes in.

Her love is unconditional.
Her heart is broken when a next-of-kin or a friend dies but she finds strength to get on with life”

The Angel asked: So she is a perfect being?
The lord replied: No. She has just one drawback
“She often forgets what she is worth”.

silhouette of pregnant standing on seashore during golden hour
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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Why Are There So Few Women in Math and Science Professions?

A great finding, during one of my weekly ‘blog-hoping’ exercises… Thank you, NewsofTheTimesBlog!

“There is a fascinating story on NPR this week about the lack of women in math and science fields that is worth a read.

It explores the reasons that there are more men than women in these fields and the reasons that many women do not stay in these fields. The article lays the blame on women’s awareness of stereotypes regarding their competency in these areas.

The author makes it clear that the problem is not all in women’s heads, but rather lays the blame at the feet of the pervasive messages that women hear on a daily basis about their abilities, or inabilities, in these areas.

I find this fascinating. When I was in middel school, I was told I was bad at two things – OK, maybe 3 things – math, science and art. Whether the people who told me these things recognized that they sent me this messages as a teenager or not, these messages stuck with me over the years; in fact, these messages have stuck with me to this day.

I worked in the field of domestic violence for many years and was always interested in the programs that many shelters have for children who have witnessed domestic violence, where they use art therapy to help children heal and cope with their untenable family situation.

As someone who was told that art was not a personal strength, I always felt more stressed by the idea of this type of therapy than soothed. The messages we are told when we are young stick with us.

The story on NPR seems to confirm this and posits the theory that this is one of the main reasons that women, even women in high level math and science professions, do not stay in those positions.

The story points out a fundamental challenge, in which there are not many women in these fields, and women seem less likely to enter these fields because they do not see themselves represented in these professions.

Quite a chicken and the egg conundrum.

What do you think? Have you, or your children, had any personal experiences with being told that you were not good at something? Have you found ways to counter these messages that work for you? Do you have any ideas about how more women could be encouraged to enter the fields of math and science? Or do you think that it is not really a problem to have this field so dominated by men?

I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading.”

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A fantastic reading, for sure! It’s so good to know there are similar voices/questions/concerns out there! Enjoy the reading!

newsofthetimes

There is a fascinating story on NPR this week about the lack of women in math and science fields that is worth a read.

It explores the reasons that there are more men than women in these fields and the reasons that many women do not stay in these fields. The article lays the blame on women’s awareness of stereotypes regarding their competency in these areas.

The author makes it clear that the problem is not all in women’s heads, but rather lays the blame at the feet of the pervasive messages that women hear on a daily basis about their abilities, or inabilities, in these areas.

I find this fascinating. When I was in middel school, I was told I was bad at two things – OK, maybe 3 things – math, science and art. Whether the people who told me these things recognized that they sent me this…

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“We’ve got the power!” Women scientists in Brazil punching above their weight, in technology.

Resultado do edital Futuras Cientistas
FU TU RE SCI EN TIS TS

The original idea for this project came from the joint interest of the Brazilian government to establish innovative ways to stimulate the participation of young adult women in Science and Technology. Different partnerships have been established since then, and now, high school students, and teachers from public schools in Brazil are having an unique opportunity. They’re the pioneers of an age (thanks, Giovanna Machado!) – women coming from limited-resorces settings are been offered the chance to learn and work in science, thanks to the largest Center for Technology in the North-Northeastern regions of Brazil, CETENE. CETENE is a research centre developing technological innovations for the development of the North-Eastern region of Brazil. It is the North-Eastern branch of the National Institute of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology. They have an institutional network in the North East and rest of the country. They have a biofactory (Biofabrica) of scaled up production of sugar cane, pine-apple, banana, orchids, flowers and new development of other materials. The biodiesel unit is operational and a new, larger one is under construction. The network Rede NanoCETENE is linked to the nanotechnology and electron microscopy lab (LAMM). Research fields include nanobiotechnology and nanostructured materials. This network is open to anyone who is interested in cooperation, also with Europe. The focus is on applying natural resources of the North-Eastern region of Brazil.

Get ready: we're coming!

This month, the Center of Technology received the visit of 8 US women scientists, who came as part of this project for “Future Scientists”, which offered me the opportunity to get to know a bit more about the innovative work that’s been carried out at CETENE. See below some of the images from our visit, as well as the guest participants, from different research institutes in the USA, with different backgrounds, but all of us sharing the same goal: improving the participation of women in Science & Technology; recognizing the work that’s already been done, and preparing the future generations for an equal and fair tomorrow… 😮

Guests/Visitors:

1-Lauren Armstrong – PhD candidate in chemical engineering
Nanotechnology for the United States Army, New Jersey

2- Candace Caroll, PhD – Postdoctoral fellow
Biochemistry at St. Jude’s Hospital, Tennessee

3-Parinaz Massoumzadeh, PhD – Researcher
Radiology at Washington University, Missouri

4-Ofelia Olivero, PhD – Associate Scientist
Cancer biology and genetics at (NIH), National Institute of Health, Maryland

5-Amelia Patrick, MS – Structural and civil engineer for Walter P Moore, Texas

6-Erin Pettit, PhD – Assistant Professor
Geophysics and glaciology at University of Alaska, Alaska

7-Donnette Sturdivant, MS – Environmental Engineer
Air quality monitoring at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), North Carolina

8-Diane Wray-Cahen, PhD – Science Advisor
Animal biotechnology at (USDA)United StatesDepartment of Agriculture Washington, DC

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