The meeting of scientists and writers and if we achieve equality…”, organized on the occasion of International Women’s Day and Girl in Science at the Granada Science Park, has in person and through telematics almost 40,000 students from educational centers in Andalusia.
It is, as reported by the science park in a press release, «a new record of participation» in this face-to-face and online meeting, connecting 39,337 students from 631 educational centers in Andalusia.
Along with the more than 430, there was a total of 39,771 students who heard the interventions of scientists Ana Guijarro Román and María Ángeles Martín Prats and writer and journalist Rosa Montero.
The three experts shared their personal and professional experiences and their relationship with science with the aim of «highlighting the contribution of women to scientific development and generating female references in the field for the participating students to foster their interest in science, technology, and engineering.»
The event began with the welcoming words of the director of the science park, Luis Alcalá, who thanked the motivating activity of the teaching staff to promote vocations and work together for equality, thanks to which the territorial delegate of educational development also participated. He joined the professional training of the board in Granada, María José Martín, and co-host of the Lenses Festival Jesús Gravite, who emphasized that one of the main objectives of this initiative is to support the development of the Third Culture, which does not make a distinction between humanistic and scientific knowledge.
After these words, the audience’s attention turned to the careful gaze of the public who observed an image of the Solvay Conference, which took place in 1911 in Brussels and brought together physicists at the highest level, including a female scientist: Marie Curie.
The head of the science dissemination section of the science park, Lourdes López, provided the commentary on the history after the image and introduced the three professionals who participated in this meeting where they shared the personal experiences that contributed to their professional choices.
Rosa Montero encouraged young people to choose a profession that they truly enjoy: «Life is only one and, therefore, it is important to choose a future that we believe warms our hearts.»
In her opinion, «it is a real aberration to be forced to choose between science and humanities. In my case, I was forced to choose humanities because I have been writing since I was five, even though I loved and enjoyed science,» said the writer nostalgically, while emphasizing that she would also like to have been dedicated to astronomy or be a primatologist.
On her part, Ana Guijarro, the astronomer from the Hispanic Astronomical Center in Andalusia, showed an image of herself as a child, taken in the same place where Radio Sierra Nevada is located.
«Don’t think it’s an easy path, because it’s not, but if you are clear, you have to pursue what you want, because you can achieve it. There are references of female scientists that can inspire you,» she said.
For María Ángeles Martín Prats, full professor of the Department of Electronic Engineering and director of the aerial research line, referring to the image of the Solvay Conference, even today, a century later, it is still seen as a message, «Only at high-level scientific meetings.»
«The percentage of women dedicated to scientific studies is still very low,» said the engineer, highlighting the role of the family in educating for real equality.