Cata de Ciencia: Bridging the Gender Gap in STEM Through Community Engagement and Visibility

Cata de Ciencia: Bridging the Gender Gap in STEM Through Community Engagement and Visibility

The persistent gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has hindered diversity and innovation for decades. Women and girls are consistently underrepresented in these fields, limiting their career trajectories and obstructing the development of inclusive, diverse solutions for global challenges. Increasing the visibility of female role models has been identified as a critical strategy to address this disparity (e.g. Carter et al., 2018; Halili & Martin, 2019). However, studies show that women in STEM are often more vulnerable to stereotypes and biases, particularly when presenting their work in public forums (e.g. Carter et al., 2018; McKinnon & O’Connell, 2020). Cata de Ciencia aims to foster a supportive environment to promote women in STEM by showcasing their achievements and engaging a diverse local audience. This initiative combines public science communication with gender equity goals. Monthly events held in Segovia, Spain, feature presentations by local women scientists, followed by interactive discussions with the audience in an informal setting accompanied by wine and tapas. The format promotes accessibility, relatability, and inclusivity, addressing the stereotype that scientific excellence is exclusive to men or specific cultures (Carter et al., 2018; McKinnon & O’Connell, 2020). The project pursues two main objectives: increasing the visibility of women in STEM within the region of Castilla y León and promoting the dissemination of science to the public in a welcoming, interactive format. 

References
Carter, A. J., Croft, A., Lukas, D., & Sandstrom, G. M. (2018). Women’s visibility in academic seminars: Women ask fewer questions than men. PloS one, 13(9), e0202743.
Halili, M. A., & Martin, J. L. (2019). How to Make the Invisible Women of STEM Visible. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 73(3), 75-77.
McKinnon, M., & O’Connell, C. (2020). Perceptions of stereotypes applied to women who publicly communicate their STEM work. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1).