It is not true that there are areas of knowledge that are only for men and others only for women. There is no reason why girls who want to be engineers, physicists or philosophers cannot be. Making progress in breaking stereotypes, barriers and gender prejudices in science, technology, knowledge and innovation is everyone’s task to advance social justice.
Girls and boys are curious by nature. They always ask why something happens that they observe around them and that catches their attention. That observation, the generation of questions and subsequent answers, are scientific thinking. It is what a researcher does every day. Incorporating this scientific thinking into our lives implies that we will be critical of what happens around us, that we are aware of what is happening and that we are constantly asking ourselves questions.
Interest in an area of knowledge, a discipline or knowledge in general arises at an early age. And it is also in the early ages where gender roles begin to be established that can mark a person’s life. The low number of women in areas of science, engineering, technology and mathematics is a consequence of the reproduction of gender roles, as is the greater number of women in areas traditionally associated with care, such as health sciences. Therefore, it is relevant that from an early age we show girls and boys that disciplines do not have gender.
That is why the United Nations General Assembly – since 2015 – invites the world to recognize the key role that women play in science and technology every February 11, support women researchers and at the same time , promote the access of women and girls to education, training and research in all areas of knowledge and especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Our ministry has a program for early ages, the Early Ages Inquiry Program (PIPE), which precisely seeks to enhance the innate curiosity of girls and boys who attend kindergartens. It is a methodological proposal aimed at developing skills in pedagogical teams for the assessment of science, technology, knowledge and innovation in girls and boys from 2 to 6 years old, awakening their curiosity and wonder about the world around them. Regardless of whether or not they dedicate themselves to research in the future, humanistic scientific thinking allows girls and boys to develop their potential, critical thinking, their curiosity and be thoughtful citizens, participants in the construction of society.
Our focus is on substantive gender equality. In March we will present the update of the National Gender Equality Policy at CTCI and, through the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), we are implementing some measures that seek to balance the conditions between men and women, such as parity in scholarships and a higher assignment of points to some projects that have women directors.
Furthermore, to strengthen the institutional framework regarding gender in the field of R&D&I&E in accredited Chilean universities, today 28 universities have InES Gender projects.
We are working so that girls and women can access, remain and develop their full potential in the various areas of science and knowledge, and we will continue to do so vigorously for science and knowledge that works for everyone.
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