International day of Women and Girls in Science 2022

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed by the

United Nations (UN) on 11 February each year.

The day aims to promote the participation of women in science,

technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. 

Today we are reminded that science, knowledge and research doesn't see the

differences of gender and age.

We take the motivation of all the women scientists of  the 20th century

who have paved the way for young girls to dream that the stars are not the limit.

We still see that there are inequalities in accepting impactful women

with their strong statements.

It makes me astonished to process the level of determination and passion women

such as Marie Curie, Janaki Ammal and Asima Chatterjee would have

had to still be remembered in everyone's mind today.

Here are a few facts about the achievements of Women in Science : 

The first Indian woman to receive a PhD in a scientific discipline in

1939 was Kamala Sohonie who was an Indian biochemist.

She was the first female student of Prof. CV Raman, who was the then IISc director.

The woman who had gotten rejected for her admission into IISc

merely because she was a woman.

Marie Curie - The Polish scientist studied at the Sorbonne, where she became the

head of the physics lab there in the early 1900s —

when women really did not teach science at European universities —

and pioneered research in radioactivity.

She and her husband jointly won the Nobel Prize in 1903.

Jane Goodall- Jane Goodall was renowned for her work with chimpanzees

and as a champion of animal rights.

 

Mae C. Jemison is the first African-American female astronaut.

In 1992, she became the first black woman in space when as a crew member

on the space ship Endeavour.

 

Joshi was the first Indian woman physician and the first woman to

have graduated with a two-year degree in Western Medicine.

 

 

 

 

Janaki Ammal was the first Indian scientist to have received the

Padma Shri Award in 1977,

who went on to occupy the reputed post of the

director-general of the Botanical Survey of India.

 

Asima Chatterjee - she is regarded highly for her works in

the fields of organic chemistry and phytochemistry.

 

Dr. Aditi Pant- A successful oceanographer,

She was the first Indian woman to visit Antarctica in 1983

as a part of the Indian expedition to study Geology and Oceanography.

 

So far 58 women have been awarded the Nobel prize between 1901 and 2021.

The United Nations General Assembly declared February 11, 2022 as the

International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

This year, the theme of the 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science is

“Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Water Unites Us”.

 

A scientist who is my inspiration and fuel for all my ambitions is the 

Indian-born American astronaut and engineer - Kalpana Chawla. 

 

Getting to know about these women and their extraordinary work in the

field of science and technology I feel that the small inabilities that

I'm facing as a young learner of science are no hurdles that will stop me

from advancing in the same.

But the scientists I get to be with and watch everyday are my mother and sister.

Their labs are the kitchen and the paper and their work is a

delicious delight for the tongue and the eye!!

It is simply fascinating to see the way they go about their

experiments which don't need procedures and big books

of what people have learnt previously.

All they seem to need is a free mind which thinks to the

extents of the universe to simply find out what happens if you did it differently!!

I think that in curiosity to find something for yourself,

the ability to imagine beyond the lines

drawn by the society and the guts to go through the entire process till,

the very end is what makes a scientist so fascinating!!

Hope you enjoyed reading this post!!! I had a great time writing it …..

Do share your comments and views on this. Thank you!!

~ Bharathi Senthilkumar