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To mark International Women’s Day 2024, Wellington College has created a film to promote inclusion in STEM subjects. Inclusion is the fuel for innovation and equality is crucial when it comes to building a future that serves us all.
At Wellington College, we are proud to have so much uptake for STEM subjects among female pupils, although there is always more progress to be made. This year five female students have been given Oxbridge offers to study STEM subjects at degree level, including Candi MC who will be heading to Oxford to study Physics; Simi P who has received an offer for Biochemistry at Oxford; Shiloh H who will study Architecture at Cambridge; Annabelle M, accepted for Biology at Oxford; and Iris Chen who will pursue Natural Sciences at Cambridge. With a female head of STE and numerous female teachers in these subject areas, girls have plenty of female role models to inspire them in their studies.
Jessica Lawrence, a teacher of Physics and Senior AHM, is thrilled to see so much justified confidence among female pupils when it comes to their abilities and career possibilities. She says, “The most important thing is to have equal and fair opportunities for all and to allow girls to pursue their varied interests without feeling limited. Each pupil at Wellington is unique and multifaceted. You can absolutely be a pupil who studies physics who also studies dance. Nothing is mutually exclusive and no single subject is better than another. Respect for one another underpins everything we do”.
Lower Sixth pupil Nina G agrees. She is studying Physics, Maths, Design Engineering and French at A Level and sees many transferable skills between the building blocks of Maths and Languages. She has always loved seeing what she can make and has recently led a ‘Women in STEM’ session for Fem Soc. Nina is considering a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has a strong interest in nuclear energy sources.
Nina says: “When I first started studying Physics A Level, I was a bit intimidated in the classroom because girls were in the minority but having Mrs Denhart as a teacher and being able to talk to female Upper Sixth STEM students – and see their success – has boosted my confidence. We’re always doing exciting projects like when we built an entire battery-powered racing car as a team and took it out on the test track”.
Currently, only 27% of careers in STEM are occupied by women but Jessica Lawrence firmly believes that education has the power to inspire inclusion. She says, “There are so many career possibilities within STEM now – from computer science to the future of the food industry, AI and transport. In order to communicate this, it’s important that we move away from outdated images of Bunsen burners. As educators, our role is to support girls to take their place in designing the future. Their potential contribution is limitless and every individual will bring something fresh that no one has brought before”.
Jessica’s advice, as a starting point for other teachers, is to read some of the research into why girls can be put off from pursuing STEM in order to understand and break down barriers. She adds: “On a day-to-day level, it’s important to be aware of any flippant comments and casual sexism within the classroom and to call it out. It’s vital that girls see people like themselves succeeding in this field and that we communicate the value of the skills they will learn in STEM subjects. These include analysis, research and synthesising interconnected ideas”.
The future of the human race without STEM is unimaginable. Together we can explore the unknown, create a world of belonging and smash the stereotypes that hold us back.
Highlighting the fantastic achievements of our OWs.
Greta Keenan (Ap 11) pursued her studies in Biomedical Science at Oxford, followed by a Master’s degree in Science Communication at Imperial College London. We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Greta for an OW Spotlight:
“I’m endlessly curious about science and technology and its potential to improve people’s lives and solve global problems like climate change. Right now, I work on topics like artificial intelligence, drones, driverless cars and biotechnology, helping governments and businesses around the world come up with safe, responsible technologies and good regulation to prevent potential harm. Whether it is helping farmers increase their avocado yields in Colombia using agriculture technologies or healthcare workers deliver medical supplies in rural Rwanda using drones, I am on a mission to unlock the potential of technology for good. And I’m lucky that my career has so far allowed me to live in the Austrian alps, tropical Japanese islands and for the past four years, in scenic Switzerland.”
Read the full OW Spotlight HERE.
International Women’s Day Assembly 2024
This year, Femsoc and our Inclusion Ambassadors assembled a panel of community members to discuss the IWD theme of ‘inspire inclusion’ during assembly. At Wellington, we have interpreted this theme as ensuring everyone is included in the action of treating everyone fairly and equally, regardless of their gender.
Our panel discussed the meaning of the word feminist, the damage caused by harmful stereotypes, and the need to speak up as a community and advocate for equality. Examples were given from the fields of leadership, academia, science, and sport to illustrate how important it is for everyone to be included. We are all better off when there are no gender-based barriers holding anyone back.
Feminism should empower all individuals to challenge injustice and strive for greater equality in society. This empowerment should support everyone in becoming better.
FemSoc, in collaboration with WTV, has created a video with pupils, teachers, and support staff to highlight the importance of all of us working together to ‘inspire inclusion’.
International Women’s day from our Family of Schools
Click HERE to view Wellington College Bangkok international women’s day video focusing on STEAM and Sport.
Find our more about International Women’s day and British Science Week via the links below:
International Women’s Day 2024 (internationalwomensday.com)
Homepage – British Science Week
