International Day of Women and Girls in Science

International Day of Girls and Women in Science is a special day that is celebrated every year on February 11th.  It is a day to honour the significant achievements of women in science and to encourage girls who are interested in the field to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM).

Several of our local Units participated in STEM activities.

The Delacombe Junior Guides acknowledged the date with activities related to the bachelor degrees held by each of their volunteer Leaders, all relating to science or technology.

Activities included:

• Vicki the Park Ranger – creating pictures from natural materials and dissecting flowers
• Jess the Phlebotomist – dressing up as scientists and learning how scabs are formed
• Cherie the Website Builder – learning about the languages involved in creating a website, writing css code to style an object (a Girl Guide in this case) and conveying sequential instructions to direct friends around objects from one end of the hall to the other

4th Ballarat Guides performed a science experiment whilst celebrating the birthday of Gui-ra. They put a plate on the cake and discussed what would happen when the glass was placed over candle and the water rises.

11th Ballarat Guides and 1st Sebastopol Guides implemented strategies of engineering whilst constructing ballistas from poles and lashings. The girls learnt how to retain tension on a rope and how produce a free-standing structure.

Why?

It is recognised that historically, women have not always been given the same opportunities as men to pursue careers in science. There was an opinion in the past that girls were not as good academically as boys in regards to the subjects of science and maths.  Women have actually outperformed men in the past 20 years in terms of the likelihood of earning an undergraduate degree but still only receive half as many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degrees as men do.

The International Day of Girls and Women in Science aims to encourage girls and women to study and work in the field of science.

By celebrating this day, we are showing that everyone should have the same opportunities, regardless of their gender.

References

• Aussie Childcare Network – International Day of Women and Girls in Science Activities For Children
• United Nations – International Day of Women and Girls in Science, 11 February