CSW67 Session report from SISEAP

SISEAP Programme Convenor Zone 1Anne Allen reports on Women in STEM: We are here to stay.

 CSW67 excitement has been building for some time in the Programme Team and I am sure also with many Soroptimists. Not being able to attend in person the first step for me was navigating the registration process through Whova.

That done time to look at the programme and decide what I would like to listen to. I have to admit to being overwhelmed by the options available and it took me some time to navigate my way through. The first scan saw me pick a number of sessions that were not virtual sessions, that was disappointing. Next scan saw me pick times that were in the early hours of the morning- not a good choice for me.
Finally I decided I would choose a time that suited me and listen to whatever was an offer at that time- and I am so happy that I did.

Women in STEM: We are here to stay.

Report by Anne Allen.  

My first full session was Women in STEM: We are here to stay. This was divided into two sections- The first sessions a panel discussion where moderator Dr Clemantino Sasso (herself an astrophysicist), asked three amazing women about their journey to achieve their positions. This was a wonderful opportunity to hear from Dr Tista Prasai Joshi a Scientific Researcher from Nepal; Professor Mariafelicia De Laurentis - whose field is in astronomy and astrophysics and Dr Natasha Palesa Mothapo a Scientist and Research Manager from South Africa. These women have all travelled the world to study and to pursue their research interests. I was particularly interested in Dr Mothapo who highlighted the support she received from people outside of her research field who encouraged her to consider administration and policy. She highlighted the importance of having women not just in research but also at the table to discuss policy and make decisions.
All the women spoke most passionately about their work, all working hard to achieve their success with Professor De Laurentis summarising her success by saying “Work done with honesty and passion pays off.
The second session was a showcase where six successful women talked about their industry success. Jane Nawilis (Jakarta); Fognan Maimouna Kone (Africa); Aishath Adnan (Maldives); Nonjabula P. Gule (South Africa ); Julissa Margarta Mateo Abad (Dominican Republic); Dr Cristina Marquez (Spain). All these women were successful in their careers but also were working in some way to provide opportunities for other women. From our Federation Jane Nawillis was cofounder of TechJakarta and part of the organisation SWE (Society of Women Engineers ). The vision for SWE is “A world with gender parity and equality in engineering and technology.” Check out their website to get an idea of the sorts of things they are doing to inspire and support women and girls to pursue a career in STEM.
I am really glad I got an opportunity to hear these women.

(Anne Allen) Zone 1 Programme Coordinator